Tag: Case Studies

  • Bagels n’ Cream Partners with KitchenHub and Star to Offer Streamlined Online Ordering and Delivery

    Bagels n’ Cream Partners with KitchenHub and Star to Offer Streamlined Online Ordering and Delivery

    Bagels n’ Cream bagel and deli shop has been located in Robbinsville, New Jersey for over 21 years. They specialize in serving breakfast and lunch, as well as hot grill specialties. From breakfast sandwich specialties, to reubens, omelets, gyros, burgers, and custom orders – Bagels n’ Cream is a top-rated deli restaurant in the area.

    The Situation

    Bagels n’ Cream started using four tablets in their restaurant with no printers. Each tablet received incoming orders that were then handwritten to a checkbook, causing major time loss in preparing orders and calculating costs. The restaurant required additional personnel just to run and follow up on the orders coming in. As business increased, so did the operating costs. Bagels n’ Cream would have to occasionally put a stop to receiving new orders as customers lined up and preparation fell behind.

    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, business dropped 70%, forcing them to nearly close shop.

    The Solution

    mC-Print3-White-300x257

    Restaurant management knew they needed a solution to handle pre-pandemic high customer demand, as well as to simply survive once the pandemic hit. That’s where KitchenHub and Star Micronics came in. After installing the KitchenHub solution and connecting more delivery providers, Bagels n’ Cream saw a 30% increase in business compared to their standard orders (pre-pandemic). KitchenHub, paired with Star’s mC-Print3 printer, provided the restaurant with an organized way to manage orders. The solution let kitchen staff know how much prep time was needed for each order prior to driver pickup.

    With that, Bagels n’ Cream was ready to accept and manage online orders from Uber Eats, DoorDash, and GrubHub all in one place with the KitchenHub solution. With Star’s CloudPRNT, the restaurant no longer had to handwrite orders. Instead, orders are automatically routed to and printed in the kitchen.

    Bagels n’ Cream saw so much success that they received a top award from Uber Eats for best service, best preparation and timely orders, and best food quality with no complaints or order returns.

    The Results

    Bagels n’ Cream implemented the KitchenHub online ordering solution with Star printers in February 2020. Prior to the installation, the average number of orders received per day was 15.54. In April 2020, the daily average orders increased to 37 per day. Since then, orders have increased up to 230%.

    “KitchenHub may have saved our restaurant,” says Vedat Saygili, Owner of Bagels n’ Cream. “Prior to COVID-19, we struggled to manage the high volume of orders coming in – not allowing us to reach our earning potential. Once COVID-19 hit, it became a ‘must-have’ to implement a better online ordering system. KitchenHub and Star provided us with just that.”

    Download the full success story to learn more about how Bagels n’ Cream leveraged Star Micronics online ordering technology.

  • Star Micronics and Crunch Systems Team Up to Provide Online Ordering Solution for Restaurants

    Star Micronics and Crunch Systems Team Up to Provide Online Ordering Solution for Restaurants

    Star Micronics, a leading manufacturer of mobile, point of sale (POS), and customer engagement technologies, is proud to announce that Crunch has added support for Star’s new mC-Print3. With the Crunch Manager and Star Micronics, receiving and printing online orders has never been easier.

    Crunch is an app built to seamless receive and accept online food orders. Restaurateurs are able to confirm the order, review important order details, provide status updates to hungry customers, and more through Crunch. Crunch also provides its customers with a custom-designed self-ordering kiosk and mobile ordering apps built specifically for their business. With food images, nutritional information, varied menu options, and more, Crunch allows restaurants to stand out from their competition and other online ordering platforms.

    Star Micronics’ new mC-Print3 is compact and sleek with exceptional functionality. With front paper loading, and a splash- and insect-proof design, the mC-Print3 is perfect for restaurant environments. The new printer comes with multiple connectivity options and hub functionality to power up to three peripherals, such as a kitchen buzzer, scanner, or line display.

    “We are pleased to continue our partnership with Star Micronics,” says Shmuly Preizler, CEO of Crunch. “Together we are able to offer an amazing product for restaurants across the country and help them with the Crunch Self-Ordering Kiosks and online ordering platform to be more efficient and successful.”

    About Crunch Systems

    Crunch is a point-of-sale and restaurant management platform built exclusively for food service businesses on an affordable cloud-based platform. Crunch offers advanced functionality including self-ordering kiosks, quick menu modifications, real-time enterprise reporting, online ordering, mobile ordering on an easy-to-use interface, and more!

    Crunch gives restaurant owners the ability to have their customers order online using their website directly from any device. Crunch offers a feature rich and user-friendly ordering solutions, including online web ordering, mobile app and self-ordering kiosks. Crunch also offers a full back office portal and integrates to over 35 POS systems. For more information, visit https://www.gocrunch.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

  • Star Micronics and Marijuana Software to Offer a Simple E-Commerce Solution for Cannabis

    Star Micronics and Marijuana Software to Offer a Simple E-Commerce Solution for Cannabis

    OMMPOS adds an online ordering plugin for cannabis dispensary customers using Star Micronics mC-Print3 with CloudPRNT

    Somerset, NJ – July 8, 2020 – Star Micronics, a leading manufacturer of mobile, point of sale (POS), and customer engagement technologies, is proud to announce that OMMPOS.COM from Marijuana Software, LLC has certified a number of Star Micronics hardware peripherals to support their POS software and online ordering solution for cannabis dispensaries. OMMPOS supports Star’s mC-Print3 receipt printer, TSP743II label printer, Star’s CD3 Value Series of cash drawers, and mG-Scales, to offer the full hardware and software POS solution to their cannabis dispensary customers. OMMPOS has decided to expand their offering even further to help their customers during the COVID-19 outbreak by offering a simple solution for online ordering.

    OMMPOS is offering their new online ordering feature for cannabis dispensaries at $15 per month, and $1 per order, making it a cost effective and competitive solution in the market. The online ordering plugin offers an API that allows current OMMPOS customers to transfer their current menu in their POS to their new e-commerce website seamlessly, using templates to custom brand their website with their own domain name. The API also allows cannabis dispensaries using other POS software to use the OMMPOS online ordering feature. The solution is compatible with WordPress and Wix for full website customization.

    When OMMPOS users set up their e-commerce website, customers can then place their order for pick-up or delivery through that site. When customers place their order, the order gets sent to Star’s mC-Print3 receipt printer using CloudPRNT. CloudPRNT will work with the OMMPOS software to store and create print jobs, and communicate status with the printer. The store owner or service providers do not need to maintain an SSL certificate for this CloudPRNT printers since the printer communicates with the server as a client.

    “We are excited to be able to offer this powerful, easy-to-use solution for online ordering. It used to take a lot of technical know how to set up a website shopping cart, and until now it has been very difficult for dispensaries to keep the inventory on their website accurate,” says Raja Afrika, Co-Founder of Marijuana Software, LLC. “Now, with our push button solution, anyone can instantly add a shopping cart to their existing website or use our instant website option if they don’t already have one. Our online ordering solutions supports delivery and curbside pickup as well as online payments with CanPay.”

  • Star Micronics and C-Trax to Offer a Simple POS Solution for Cannabis Dispensaries

    Star Micronics and C-Trax to Offer a Simple POS Solution for Cannabis Dispensaries

    C-Trax, paired with Star Micronics printers, helps cannabis dispensaries and CBD retailers to streamline business operations 

    Somerset, NJ – June 10, 2020 – Star Micronics, a leading manufacturer of mobile, point of sale (POS), and customer engagement technologies, is proud to announce that C-Trax has added support for Star’s mPOP, along with the mUnite POP and 2D Imager to offer a complete point of sale solution for cannabis dispensaries and CBD retailers. With C-Trax and Star Micronics, hemp retailers have the ease of mind knowing that their sales and store management are being done right.

    C-Trax is the only point of sale that has been designed with the hemp retailer in mind. Designed with franchises and multi-store management in mind, C-Trax brings easy to use POS functionality tied together with a comprehensive back-office management solution. In addition, C-Trax is the first cannabis point of sale software to be fully integrated with payments solutions.

    Star Micronics mPOP is ideal for retail businesses with a lower volume of cash transactions. The all-in-one receipt printer and cash drawer is sleek and compact, taking up less valuable counter space, and allowing retailers to operate from a modern, tablet point of sale. The latest addition to the mPOP offers Flat Bill cash management, with a stacked cash till, offering management for 4 bill and 4 or 6 adjustable coin slots. Additionally, the mPOP comes with its own custom tablet stand, helping to manage cables and keep your point of sale sleek and clean.

    “There is enough to worry about as a cannabis retailer, maintaining equipment shouldn’t be one of them,” states Sean Tolliver, CEO C-Trax. “Our partnership with Star Micronics helps us relieve some of the pressure by providing a reliable and cost-effective hardware solution.”

  • Star Micronics Partners with Flash Order to Transform the Cafeteria Ordering Experience

    Star Micronics Partners with Flash Order to Transform the Cafeteria Ordering Experience

    Cafeterias play an especially important role in hospital and university settings, providing students, patients, and staff members with quick, nutritious meals to keep them energized throughout the day in a setting where cooking your own food is not a viable option.

    Contra Costa College in San Pablo, CA has a student population of about 6,000, and it is not uncommon for its campus cafeteria to serve up to 10% of the student population at once during busy hours. Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical Center in Vacaville, CA has a population that sits at around a hefty 15,000 and its cafeteria serves a large number of patients, staff members, and guests daily.

    Flash Order provides a digital self-order platform for hospitality environments, with a special focus on cafeterias like those in Contra Costa College and Vacaville Medical Center. As a self-order kiosk app, Flash Order makes it easy for cafeterias to provide a fast customer experience and a streamlined, accurate ordering process.

    Free Self-Service Kiosk Resources

    The future of many industries lies with self-service solutions. That’s why Star Micronics is offering free online ordering resources for resellers and software developers who are helping customers future-proof their businesses with self-service solutions.

    The Challenge

    Recently, cafeterias have been under mounting pressure to save on operating expenses due to the rising costs of labor and food. They are also faced with rising consumer demand and increased competition, making it imperative to deliver fast service and positive customer experiences.

    In the past, cafeterias relied on written paper tickets to fulfill orders, however, this came at a cost. Handwritten orders can be difficult to read, and it is easy for front-of-house staff to miss modifiers, sides, and other items as they are given when it takes longer to write the order than it takes for a customer to dictate it.

    These handwritten ordering processes resulted in too many errors.

    For cafeterias, this can lead to major losses in profits from food waste when orders need to be re-made, as well as decreased consumer trust and a poor customer experience. Order errors not only delay the customer that placed the order, but all the customers in line behind them. In a hospital or university setting, cafeterias serve hundreds of customers in a short time frame, so order errors are a major issue.

    The SolutionmC-Print3

    Cafeterias require a technology upgrade to handle the new challenges facing the industry today, and Flash Order answered the call. They developed a self-order kiosk app that can streamline the ordering process and reduce order errors. Many cafeterias have implemented the kiosk app and seen improvements in the ordering process.

    Recently, Flash Order partnered with Star Micronics, which provided a robust lineup of printing options suitable for any cafeteria or self-ordering environment to reduce order errors and combat environmental challenges that make it difficult to rely on digital tickets.

    The collaboration between Flash Order and Star Micronics provided self-order kiosks and integrated printers for both Contra Costa College and Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical Center.

    The solution is designed to be a “plug-and-play” solution to reduce downtime during installation. With Flash Order, customers can simply download the app, log in with their Square credentials, and build their menus with Flash Order’s proprietary menu editor.

    The entire installation took less than two weeks to go live at the college. Training was made simple by the intuitive and user-friendly app interface on the Flash Order app.

    The Results

    Flash-Order-Case-Study-Hospitality-ImageryThe Star Micronics mC-Print3 printers with CloudPRNT have replaced handwritten tickets with printed tickets, which are far more reliable and easier to read. Every item the customer selects is added to the ticket with 100% accuracy, so kitchen staff is always aware of modifiers, sides, and preparation instructions that customers request on the kiosk.

    The self-order kiosk has significantly reduced average customer wait time. Now, more customers can place orders at a single time, and no time is wasted handwriting customer orders on paper tickets. Sales totals are automatically calculated by the kiosk as customers enter, so front-of-house staff can process transactions much quicker.

    Because of this, labor costs can be reduced as labor can be redistributed to order prep stations, helping fulfill orders even faster. However, in some locations, the need for labor increased due to the higher number of orders being placed in a shorter time frame.

    The Flash Order kiosk also assists with upselling and cross-selling, increasing average ticket size, and giving customers a better view of all available menu offerings. Cafeteria operators and managers have the ability to change menu information across all locations simultaneously and remotely with the app, which helps to streamline menu management.

    Overall, the Flash Order solution has increased total sales by about 16%-20% on average, with the medical center’s cafeteria in particular having seen an increase in sales by about $4,000 to $5,000 worth of orders per day.

  • CASA Cleaners Achieves Operational Excellence Using Sudzy POS Software and Star Micronics Printers

    CASA Cleaners Achieves Operational Excellence Using Sudzy POS Software and Star Micronics Printers

    When Jordan Wachtell first acquired NYC-based CASA Cleaners, the goal was to provide many more customers in the Manhattan area with eco-friendly dry cleaning services that are 100% safe and non-toxic. By utilizing the newest cleaning machines, POS systems and printing technology, CASA Organic Dry Cleaners has become the fastest growing laundry and organic dry cleaning services in New York City.

    Serving residential customers, as well as sports clubs, hotels, universities, and residential buildings, Casa Cleaners offers organic cleaning and wet cleaning technology that is 100% safe, without the use of harmful or toxic chemicals. Additionally, CASA offers a wide range of custom tailoring services, as well as restoration services.

    Download Now: Dry Cleaning POS Software Checklist: 10 Things Not to Compromise On

    The Challenge

    Casa-Cleaners-2-e1574805250581

    Managing a growing business in New York City required more advanced point of sale (POS) software than what CASA had. The old PC computer hard drives they were using kept breaking down, requiring the cleaners to rely on backup drives. The inefficient manual processes and unreliable technology they were stuck with caused them to lose a considerable amount of valuable time, and even worse, customer orders.

    Not only were they plagued with lost data due to hard drive failures, their legacy POS software didn’t allow CASA to connect with customers via texting or mobile apps, which stifled business growth. CASA needed a modern cloud-based POS that could handle the high volume of their business and streamline processes, with reliable data storage and accessibility.

    The Solution

    After researching the most advanced POS system for dry cleaners, CASA chose to implement Sudzy POS on iPads, a Star Micronics SP742 tag printer, two Star Micronics TSP654II ticket printers, and a cash register. Two full stations were implemented, and two additional iPads were purchased for racking and scanning laundry bags.

    Sudzy POS was chosen for its cloud-based data storage, user-friendly interface, two-way texting to customers, scanning capabilities for data entry, and its ability to be customized as needs grow. The Star Micronics printers were selected for the seamless integration with the POS and the fast ticket and tag printing they offer.

    The installation took one week, and it took two weeks total before CASA was able to go live with the solution. The training required was minimal, as each component of the solution was designed to be intuitive and user-friendly.

    Casa-Cleaners-3-e1574805268700Results

    With the Sudzy POS software and Star Micronics printers, CASA cleaners has been able to revolutionize their business processes to be much more competitive, running three times as fast and adding 25%-30% profitability. Staff can use iPad POS to safely store and backup data in the cloud, which eliminated any lost orders or data issues. The Sudzy software and advanced Bluetooth printing from the Star Micronics printers has considerably decreased the time it takes for CASA to print tags and customer tickets, allowing them to print as-needed.

    Orders can now be scanned and entered, or delivered to the POS directly from the Sudzy connected app, or customers can text orders to CASA. Because of this, staff members no longer have to answer customer pickup calls and manually enter in the information every time, and instead are free to process more orders more quickly. Text notifications sent directly to customers when an order is ready for pick up or is on its way for delivery has improved overall customer service.

    Delivery drivers have benefitted from the installation as well, enjoying instant access to information on mobile devices. Additionally, CASA plans on adding a mobile printing feature for further ease of delivery. The Sudzy delivery apps can be used on drivers’ mobile devices to assist with delivery, and eliminate the need for paper for an even more eco-friendly operation.

    The Sudzy POS software also provides a wealth of data and reporting, which gives CASA a real-time view of operations, so they can better diagnose bottlenecks and make informed decisions. Overall, CASA Cleaners has been able to see a very quick return on investment, saving both time and labor, and allowing the business to operate at a much faster and more profitable pace.

    Download the Complete Success Story Now

  • Star Micronics and Flash Order Partner to Provide a Self-Ordering Kiosk Solution for Restaurants

    Star Micronics and Flash Order Partner to Provide a Self-Ordering Kiosk Solution for Restaurants

    Flash Order and Star Micronics offer a complete system for order taking with a kiosk, menu wizard, and full-featured Kitchen Display System (KDS)

    SOMERSET, NJ – APRIL 10, 2019 – Star Micronics, a leading manufacturer of mobile, point of sale (POS), and customer engagement technologies, is proud to announce that Flash Order has added support for Star’s TSP143III, SP742 printers, and CD3 Value Series Cash Drawers, and plan to add support for the mPOP. Flash Order, paired with Star Micronics’ printing peripherals, delivers a DIY (do-it-yourself) kiosk solution to restaurants as a fast and easy way to implement digital ordering.

    Flash Order is seamlessly integrated with Square and brings the cost saving and operational efficiency of digital ordering to the Square POS. Using the menu wizard, restaurants can easily import their menu from Square or build it from scratch. Flash Order allows users to manage their orders through the Flash Order KDS or with integrated Star Printing. The KDS allows restaurant owners and managers to set targets for order prep times, expedite orders, and filter and streamline orders between the grill, cold, prep, or any other station.

    Star’s TSP143III receipt printer offers easy-to-use LAN connectivity, along with high-speed printing, and “print-flat” technology. It is ideal for offering customers printed copies of their self-ordering receipt that contains important information such as order number, wait time, etc. and can also be used to deliver printer promotions with Star’s PromoPRNT technology. The SP742 is Star’s ultimate kitchen printing solution, built to withstand environments where high temperatures can erode the type on the kitchen order.

    “Flash Order self-order kiosks are perfect for restaurants of any size from Food Trucks to multi-unit chains,” said Flash Order co-founder Weston Hafen. “Kiosks can eliminate long lines, increase revenue, and with our DIY approach a location can be set up and ready to take customer orders in minutes.”

    The benefits of implementing the Flash Order kiosk system attracted The Wash, a late-night desserts and drinks shop. Sean Kang owner of The Wash said, “We love the Flash Order system. We have transitioned to run all of our transactions through the self-order kiosks.  It has transformed our business and our customers love it.”

  • Restaurant Opening is Rescued with MobileBytes iPad POS and Star Printer

    Restaurant Opening is Rescued with MobileBytes iPad POS and Star Printer

    If you ask local diners why they should go to Charlton’s Grill & Tap in Johns Creek, Georgia, they’ll tell you it’s for the wings. The eatery is known for jumbo, crisp wings prepared with a variety of homemade sauces and rubs—and Charlton’s encourages diners to mix flavors  to come up with creative combinations they love. The family-owned-and-operated restaurant, which opened its doors in 2016, also provides great customer service, supported by state-of-the-art technology—but management didn’t find it that way when they prepared for the restaurant opening.

    The Challenge

    When owner Bob Charlton purchased the restaurant, he discovered the point of sale (POS) system hasn’t been properly maintained. Charlton, the former executive VP of sales and marketing for a systems integrator, was familiar with POS systems, and quickly discovered that he has a problem. The POS system has never been upgraded—in fact, it was running four versions behind the current software—and the POS hardware and printers were outdated. The restaurant couldn’t alter the system at all to make it usable.

    Charlton knew he needed a cloud-based POS system that he’d be able to access from a laptop or smartphone. He also needed a solution that allowed him to focus on his new restaurant, not on IT, but still easily manage changes and updates. Charlton’s Grill and Tap didn’t anticipate the issues it discovered with the existing POS system and printers. They wanted to easily enable online ordering, offer a loyalty program and printers that required zero IT support to print receipts and takeout orders. They has to work fast as they only has 3 days to implement a new POS system and thermal printers for the restaurant.

    Charltons-Exterior

    The Solution

    Charlton originally contacted Matt Shaw from Postec, Inc. because he thought the Toast restaurant POS and management system would best suit the business’ needs. But after Shaw listened to what Charlton was looking for, he recommended a MobileBytes system and Star printers. Mobilebytes iPad POS provided Charlton’s with the anytime, anywhere cloud access it was looking for, and it made communicating and engaging with customers through the POS system easier. Charlton’s also chose Star SP700 and TSP650II printers, two for the front of the house and one in the back.

    The new POS solution was also easy to roll out and simple to set up. The MobileBytes and Star system took less than two days to install and go live, setup took less than eight hours with the assistance of Postec, Inc. and staff training, including placing sample orders, took less than one hour, helping Charlton’s open its doors in less time than other POS systems could have.

    When an order comes in, the order double prints—once for the kitchen to initiate food prep and once for the front of the house to prepare the take out order. The Skip-the-Line feature is provided through the MobileBytes app. When guests are within 90 feet of the restaurant, their phone will connect to the restaurant’s iBeacon and they will receive a notification through the app asking if they would like to “skip the line” and order ahead through the mobile app. Anyone dining in can order online with orders printing for the front and back of the house so they’ll be ready when guests arrive. Guests that want to have alcoholic beverages with their meals, however, have two separate checks, since alcohol can’t be ordered online. To compensate, the restaurant offers a free drink promotion to encourage online orders. Charlton’s also launched a loyalty program, supported by the MobileBytes app.

    Read the full success story now!

  • Seatninja and Star Micronics Empower Full Service Restaurants to Deliver VIP Diner Experience

    Seatninja and Star Micronics Empower Full Service Restaurants to Deliver VIP Diner Experience

    PHOTO CREDIT: OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

    With the increase in popularity of fast casual and fast-fine dining establishments, full service restaurants are under increasing pressure to provide top-notch dining experiences. Each diner’s experience begins the moment they step through restaurant doors and approach the host stand.

    Seatninja Host is a low-cost solution that allows full-service restaurants to connect with guests and consistently provide a VIP Diner Experience. The digital seating system was created to emulate the paper tools that 90% of restaurants still use for managing walk-ins, waitlist parties, and reservations. Seatninja Host is a complete front-of-house system that will enable your staff to interact with guests via SMS or mobile application, gain visibility into where all seated guests are in the dining cycle, identify tables with VIPs and special occasions, quote accurate wait times by party size, manage and follow server rotations, quickly look up guest’s dining history, and more.

    THE SITUATION

    As a result of the growth in fast casual and fast-fine dining establishments, guests are becoming more and more intolerant of mistakes in lost reservations, long wait lists, and misquoted wait times. Guests are also starting to expect automated and seamless reservation and waitlist procedures at the front-of-house within a modern and up-to-date full-service restaurant. To appease unhappy and impatient customers, restaurants lose hundreds of dollars in revenue each month to guest comps or freebies to avoid bad press and poor Yelp reviews.

    THE SOLUTION

    Seatninja Host organizes and automates most of the host stand functions, such as taking and managing reservations and waitlists, managing seating, wait time estimates, and server rotation. The solution automatically suggests tables for guests, accurately estimates wait times, and organizes the guests into a seating line. The solution uses a two-way texting system to communicate with guests to let them know their table is ready and allows guests to disperse to other nearby areas and thus removing the pressure from small, over-crowded lobbies. In this way, it never loses a reservation or waitlist party, maximizing restaurant seating, without overbooking.

    For easy server reference, the integrated Star Micronics TSP100III printer prints out a reservation or waitlist “chit” that includes each guest’s visit details including, name, number in party, visit history, permanent guest notes, current visit reservations notes, table number and any party flags assigned, i.e. birthday, anniversary, high chair required, etc. For additional server management, each server’s schedule can be printed from the system as well. The schedule includes the name of the server, the tables assigned to each server and his or her’s scheduled time in. This further ensures that each guest receives a VIP customer experience delivered not only from the front-of-the-house stand, but also their server as well.

    THE RESULTS

    The Seatninja and Star Micronics solution deliver an immediate ROI on the monthly subscription. Setup takes, on average, less than an hour. The solution is paired with an iPad tablet upon deployment. Training is quick and easy, completed in an hour or less and staff typically and staff typically reaches proficiency with the solution within two shifts or less.

    Full service restaurants who deploy the solution may see some or all of the following results:

    • fewer table checks ($75 per month in savings)
    • additional table turns ($400 per month in additional revenue)
    • decrease in reservation no shows ($400 per month in savings)
    • decrease in walk outs on waitlists ($400 per month in savings)
    • no lost or damaged paper replacements ($100 per month in savings)
    • reservations can be taken automatically during off hours ($1500 per month in additional revenue)
    • reduced comps for mistakes ($100 per month in savings)
    • automatic table assignments for reservations ($124 per month in savings)
  • 3 Reasons Why Restaurants Should Allow Customers to Order Online

    3 Reasons Why Restaurants Should Allow Customers to Order Online

    Online ordering and delivery are so convenient that more and more people are going online and, in a few clicks, having meals delivered to their door. According to banking analysts Cowen, delivery will grow to a $76 billion industry by 2022. CNBC reports that online orders comprise half of all deliveries, with millennials and the 35-44 age group leading the pack among diners who are taking advantage of online ordering apps and services.

    Online Ordering Makes Sense for Your Restaurant

    Although most restaurants take phone orders, it’s a good idea to have an alternate ordering method so people won’t get a busy signal or wait on hold for too long. Online ordering also means the phone won’t be ringing as often, taking staff away from other tasks and making the atmosphere more pleasant for dine-in customers.

    Online ordering allows diners to enter their orders online through the restaurant’s website or app and designate whether it’s for pickup, delivery, or dine-in. Online ordering solutions also enable the customer to pay with a credit card before the order is prepared, and it streamlines workflows by sending orders directly to the kitchen. Implementing an online ordering system means a better customer service experience for patrons and allows you to gather their contact information for future marketing efforts.

    Online ordering is a great way to boost revenue and attract new customers. The addition of Amazon Eats and Seamless are making it easier than ever for restaurants to introduce online ordering. If you haven’t already, here are three reasons why your customers should be able to point, click, and eat:

    1. Increased sales and larger orders

    Restaurants that introduce online ordering increase their takeout revenue, on average, by 30%. For small restaurants or ones with limited hours, adding online ordering and delivery generates an additional revenue stream without impacting your dine-in customers.

    Online ordering encourages larger orders by giving customers extra time to look through the menu and discover new items they would like to try. Diners are in control of the ordering process and they can take their time reading the menu without feeling rushed, securely process their payments, and never get a busy signal.

    2. Improved order accuracy

    Taking phone orders means an employee must be able to clearly hear the customer on the phone, accurately and legibly write down an order, and then input it into the point of sale (POS) system. Sometimes the employee may not hear the order correctly or make mistakes while entering it into the POS terminal. Removing these steps means less opportunity for errors and a reduction in the amount of time and resources wasted remaking orders prepared incorrectly.

    3. Expand your customer base

    More of your customers will seek out restaurants with online ordering, so it’s important to have every option available—phone, online and ordering app. According to a survey by the National Restaurant Association, 61% of people said they consider delivery and takeout options important for table service restaurants.  The experts at QSR Web reported that online ordering is outpacing dine-in patrons by 300%. If reservations at your restaurant are hard to get, or there are only a few tables, online ordering makes it easy for people to satisfy their craving or try it for the first time quickly and easily.

    Restaurants are preparing more meals for take-out than they are serving to on-premises customers, so make sure they can place their orders using the technology they want. Online ordering is the key to drawing in new customers and increasing revenue.