A Signal in the Noise: How Typhoon Lounge Uses AI to Forge Their Path

Running a high-volume neighborhood bar means balancing instinct with insight, and knowing what’s working, what’s not and where small changes can have an outsized impact. For Typhoon Lounge, that meant finding a way to turn deep, complex data into something practical they could actually use day to day.

Lightspeed AI became the missing layer.

We sat down with Typhoon Lounge Owner Mike Silas to talk about how Lightspeed AI helps pull more depth and insights from their data.

Having enough data to know what to do next is great, but it means little if you can’t use that data in any real sense. It takes time to pour through the numbers and extract the value from your reports.

“I would download a lot of Excel reports, so I can get one report for what I'm looking for…but the comparative analysis that I'm looking for, I generally have to do that manually.”

With a well-trained AI, you can get that time back, allowing you to take action on the insights gained.

"I very often give it date ranges and say, compare this date range to that date range, and this is... what saves me a lot of time."

AI can be a bridge, allowing you access to insights that were, until now, hidden.

"It makes the jump from the limitations of the back office reporting to the information that becomes actionable by the end user to make your restaurant profitable."

But it takes time to train and develop AI to build the right bridge for the right situation.

"You can only look at, let's say, the first two weeks of October in Advanced Insights, but you can't, say, compare the first two weeks with the last two weeks of October."

A benefit of AI is that it can be coaxed into any means of customization, allowing you to see more depth in your data.

“It can look at performance data, it basically reflects what is available in Advanced Insights, except it has another layer of comparative analysis for date ranges.”

“The limitation is, when you break your system down into many accounting groups, there is no way to analyze wine compared to mixed drinks, so you're limited.”

There is a nuance to analyzing data, but it can be difficult to master and test the patience of many operators.

"I tell the AI, look at my beer statistics group, compare it to my... Mixed Drink Statistics Group... Where I cannot do that in the back office anywhere, this is where the AI, for me, comes in super, super handy."

"Not just an insight as to how many orders of chicken wings I sold this month, but I sold too many on Friday night, take off the Friday night special, put wings on sale at happy hour on Wednesdays."

Once AI has gotten familiar with your data, that is when the real value reveals itself. It becomes a digital partner, able to guide and advise on your next moves.

“This is where the AI comes in very, very handy to me. It does offer key insights that Advanced Insights does not offer, and it does so at the end of its reports, which I find very, very interesting to read.”