Why great data systems should be run like restaurants?

Databases should be run like restaurants.

As an Italian, this example hits home. My dad was involved with a high-end Italian restaurant in London,(classic I know) back when London was still booming. I spent quite a bit of time around staff who took food seriously, and I have very fond memories of that kitchen: the noise, the pressure, the rhythm of service, and most importantly the Linguini alla nerano

The guests ranged from Johnny Depp to UN presidents and everything in between. But despite the range, they all wanted roughly the same things: incredible food served warm and quickly; a menu that was simple but detailed; and a price that felt fair for what they were getting. What they judged was the surface experience. What they did not see was the machinery underneath.

The back room decides everything

Behind the scenes, the kitchen is where the real magic happens. Customers were not meant to see what happened back there, and they certainly were not meant to interrupt the flow. Unless you are at a place like Benihana, where that’s the whole point…

(I used to peel shrimp at this exact branch during uni for extra money. They never once asked me to wash my hands. I always did, obviously.)

Great restaurants obsess over preparation because preparation is what makes consistency possible. They source the best ingredients. Fresh Mozzarella di Bufala from Naples, not something that has been sitting around too long. They store it properly. They prep it properly. Sauces are made in batches so every plate tastes the same, because this builds trust in your restaurant and brand… a single case of food poising would be the end of you.

Also, you can’t have a kid ask the chef for ketchup mid-prep.

The separation between kitchen and dining room exists for a reason. But separation does not mean indifference. The kitchen always cooks with the customer in mind. The food should arrive hot, plated cleanly, without unnecessary gold leaf theatrics.

A good Data Warehouse and BI setup should feel no different. Clean data. Queries that run quickly. Schemas that make sense. The hard work happens in the back room so the dining room feels simple and predictable. The customer can focus on enjoying their conversation and be in the moment.

Michelin level means attention-to-detail

What separates a good restaurant from a Michelin-level one?

You walk in and before you even sit down they smile and say, “The usual? Don’t worry, it’s already started.” They remember how you like it, medium-rare, no garnish, extra pepper:) The kitchen does not start from zero every time you show up. It builds on what it already knows about you.

That’s the same as good context when analysing data.

For a long time, data warehouses operated like traditional kitchens. If you were not technical, you stayed in the dining room. That boundary existed for good reason. Raw data is messy. Logic can be fragile. You do not want people dipping into half-finished transformations and calling it “insight”.

But something has shifted… (thanks Sam)

Normally, you do not touch the stove. Now imagine the chef preps everything, perfect cut, properly seasoned, and then hands you the pan for the final sear.

The inspiration

This whole analogy was inspired by Ralph Kimball & Margy Ross’s chunky “The Data warehouse Toolkit”

I’ve been getting through it painfully slowly as I trek across always the full length the central line each day.

Based on my current level of understanding, this is how I’d describe Querio with the same analogy.

“We let you cook your own steak” (idk Javi) check the metaphor on that one.

In more boring terms:

That is what we are building at Querio:

• Self-serve analytics for the whole team

• Natural language that returns answers from your data warehouse in seconds

• Everything expressed as code, inspectable and transparent

• Context stored in files, so the system remembers how you think

We’re building this day and night so you are not left alone with raw chicken.

But you are no longer limited to whatever is on the menu.

(this is a real photo I took with my phone in Hakone, Japan)

Rather than trying to make Burger King look like a prime steakhouse, it is better to get the fundamentals right. Respect the kitchen. Get the best ingredients. Deliver consistently good dishes.

Do that, and your customers will always come back, and bring friends :)

Long live pasta and data.
🍝 Mamma sei no.1