GDPR for restaurant data: what multi-venue operators need to know

Restaurant groups in the EU handle more personal data than they often realise — staff records, guest reviews with reviewer names, contact details. Any software that touches that data brings GDPR obligations with it. Here's what a multi-venue operator should understand before signing.

Controller vs processor

Under GDPR, the controller decides why and how personal data is processed; the processor acts on the controller's instructions. When you use an operations platform, you are typically the controller of your operational data, and the vendor is the processor. The relationship must be governed by a Data Processing Agreement (DPA).

What to ask a software vendor

• Is there a signed DPA, and what does it cover?
• Where is data hosted — which provider, which region?
• Who are the sub-processors, and where do they sit?
• Is data encrypted in transit and at rest?
• Can you export or delete everything, and how fast?
• Is your data ever used to train models for other customers? (The answer should be no.)

A vendor that says 'GDPR-compliant' but can't produce a sub-processor list and a hosting statement is giving you a slogan, not an answer.

Data ownership

The principle to hold onto is simple: your operational data is yours. A processor uses it to provide the service and nothing else. Portability and erasure are your rights, not favours — you should be able to take your data with you or have it deleted on request.

For groups doing procurement, a vendor's GDPR posture isn't paperwork — it's a gate. The faster a vendor can answer the questions above with specifics, the less risk they add to your operation.