Restaurant daily insights with Gemini AI - sales, waste & feedback email summary

In this guide, we’ll walk you through setting up an AI-driven workflow that automatically fetches daily sales, food waste, and customer feedback data from Google Sheets, generates actionable insights using AI, merges them into a comprehensive report, and sends it as an email draft. Ready to automate your restaurant’s daily insights? Let’s dive in! What’s the Goal? - Automatically retrieve daily sales data, food waste records, and customer feedback from Google Sheets. - Use AI to analyze data and generate insights, including top performers, waste reduction recommendations, and feedback summaries. - Merge the insights into a structured daily report. - Send the report as an AI-generated email draft for review or sending. - Enable scheduled automation for daily insights delivery. By the end, you’ll have a self-running system that delivers daily restaurant insights effortlessly. Why Does It Matter? Manual data analysis and reporting are time-consuming and error-prone. Here’s why this workflow is a game-changer: - Zero Human Error: AI ensures accurate and consistent insights. - Time-Saving Automation: Instantly process data and draft reports, boosting efficiency. - Scheduled Delivery: Receive insights daily without manual effort. - Actionable Insights: Empower your team with data-driven decisions. Think of it as your tireless data analyst that keeps your restaurant informed. How It Works Here’s the step-by-step magic behind the automation: Step 1: Trigger the Workflow - Initiate the workflow daily using the Daily Report Scheduler node (e.g., every day at a set time). Step 2: Fetch Daily Sales Data - Retrieve sales data from the Google Sheet using the Fetch Daily Sales Data node. Step 3: Fetch Daily Food Waste Records - Retrieve food waste data from the Google Sheet using the Fetch Daily Food Waste Records node. Step 4: Fetch Customer Feedback - Retrieve customer feedback from the Google Sheet using the Fetch Customer Feedback node. Step 5: Normalize Sales Records - Process and standardize sales data for AI analysis. Step 6: Normalize Waste Data - Process and standardize food waste data for AI analysis. Step 7: Normalize Feedback Data - Process and standardize customer feedback data for AI analysis. Step 8: AI Sales Insights Generator - Use AI (e.g., Google Chat Model) to analyze sales data, identify top performers, and provide recommendations. Step 9: AI Waste Reduction Insights Generator - Use AI to analyze waste data and suggest reduction strategies. Step 10: AI Feedback Summary - Use AI to summarize customer feedback and identify common themes. Step 11: Format Sales Output - Structure the sales insights into a readable format. Step 12: Format Waste Output - Structure the waste reduction insights into a readable format. Step 13: Format Feedback AI Output - Structure the feedback summary into a readable format. Step 14: Merge & Create Email - Combine all formatted insights into a single daily report email draft. Step 15: Prepare Email Content - Finalize the email content for sending. Step 16: Send Daily Report - Send the AI-generated daily summary email via Gmail. How to Use the Workflow? Importing a workflow in n8n is a straightforward process that allows you to use pre-built workflows to save time. Below is a step-by-step guide to importing the Restaurant Daily Insights Automation workflow in n8n. Steps to Import a Workflow in n8n 1. Obtain the Workflow JSON - Source the Workflow: Workflows are shared as JSON files or code snippets, e.g., from the n8n community, a colleague, or exported from another n8n instance. - Format: Ensure you have the workflow in JSON format, either as a file (e.g., workflow.json) or copied text. 2. Access the n8n Workflow Editor - Log in to n8n (via n8n Cloud or self-hosted instance). - Navigate to the Workflows tab in the n8n dashboard. - Click Add Workflow to create a blank workflow. 3. Import the Workflow - Option 1: Import via JSON Code (Clipboard): - Click the three dots (⋯) in the top-right corner