It’s inescapable in the news these days: inflationary pressures are causing individuals, families and businesses to think twice before spending money. Staffing shortages and changing consumer preferences are compounding pressures when it comes to the challenges facing restaurants today.
But it’s not all bad news out there. Many restaurants are leveraging technology to pivot their business models and improve their finances. A great example of this is Coolgreens, a growing fast casual brand based out of Oklahoma City. The brand endeavors to inspire healthy living and fuel smart choices for its guests, offering a menu of nutritious salads, wraps, grain bowls, sandwiches and more.
As the brand started to grow into a full-fledged franchise operation, it implemented a new POS platform to gain an edge by automating front and back-of-house operations, facilitating rapid adoption by new employees and integrating easily with third-party technologies.
One of the first benefits Coolgreens achieved was the ability to move from handwritten paper tickets to fully automated ordering, which resulted in order accuracy improving by more than 75 percent.
As a growing brand, opening up new locations can be a complex endeavor. The new POS platform makes this easier especially when it comes to training new staff members. The solution’s ease of use resulted in Coolgreens reducing training by 25 percent. That translated to eliminating an entire shift for new teammates during employee onboarding, or an annual savings of approximately $5,000 across its nine locations.
Additionally, Coolgreens integrated with its POS a rewards application that incentivizes guests to visit more frequently and purchase more when they do, regardless of whether the customer is buying online or in-store. Benefits range from earning free items to skipping the line for pick-up orders, and recurring promotions, like Wednesday “APPy Hour” help customers feel good about the food they’re purchasing as well as the price they’re paying for it. In one year after launching the app, Coolgreens has increased their users by 120 percent and has seen app-based orders grow to $100,000 in revenue.
While Coolgreens already had the right elements for a successful business, adding technology that could support the team in its varied needs was a great way to reinforce that success. With the new POS platform now installed, Coolgreens is ready to take on new markets and new challenges as a strong, growing franchise.
Chris Lybeer is the Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer of Revel Systems. He brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in the retail technology industry to Revel. Prior to joining Revel, Chris served as the COO for Kredible, a digital marketing company that was acquired by AdvisorEngine and as the VP of Strategic Development for NCR, focusing on innovation, partnerships, and M&A. Over 15 years with Radiant Systems, which was acquired by NCR, Chris held a variety of roles including President of the Specialty Retail Division and EVP of the Convenience Store Division. Starting his career as a computer engineer with NCR, Chris ultimately led the entire software development organization for their retail business. He also serves on the board of directors for Giving Kitchen, a James Beard award-winning non-profit that provides emergency assistance for food service workers through financial support and a network of community resources. Chris is passionate about driving customer satisfaction while also continuously bringing value and innovation to the market.
