Sponsored by Restaurant365
Failing to track product sales can lead to a cascade of issues that significantly impact the success of quick-service restaurants. Products managed through cumbersome Excel spreadsheets can lead to inefficiencies and overstock situations that hamper profitability and disregard consumers whose preferences and feedback go unnoticed. These restaurants struggle to meet consumer demands, leading to diminished satisfaction and loyalty.
“We were sending in a 90 plus Excel sheet to one person to then plug into a master Excel inventory spreadsheet,” says Jonathan Cowan, director of supply chain for Ike’s Love & Sandwiches. “Our whole system was completely wrong for an organization of our size.”
To accurately track sales and receive insight into consumer preferences, Ike’s Sandwiches turned to Restaurant365. Restaurant365 is a cloud-based accounting and operations platform that seamlessly integrates with restaurants’ POS systems. “Restaurant365 allows us to get all data points into a centralized hub which then gives us clarity to make real-time decisions without having to spend a day pulling data from different fields or resources,” Cowan says.
Since beginning to use Restaurant365, Ike’s Love & Sandwiches has seen a lot of benefits. One of the standout features has been the platform’s ability to provide detailed insights into the performance of LTOs, enabling Ike’s Love & Sandwiches’ operators to quickly identify what products resonate with customers and what products underperform.
The platform offers specific categorization based on area, so operators know which products are most and least popular at each location. Before integrating Restaurant365 categorizing product sales by store location was nearly impossible for Ike’s Love & Sandwiches due to the large number of locations and various menu offerings. “At the end of the day our customers need to be driving and deciding how we operate our business,” Cowan says. “Restaurant365 gives us this information and allows us to see an immediate impact on sales and profitability.”
The platform is continually evolving, showcasing its commitment to innovations and willingness to collaborate with partners to meet the dynamic needs of the quick-service restaurant industry. “We see the support Restaurant365 provides by allowing us to put in requests and then seeing them come to fruition,” Cowan says.
By actively seeking feedback and engaging with users, Restaurant365 ensures its platform remains at the cutting edge of technology and functionality. This collaborative approach allows the company to develop and integrate new features that address the specific challenges faced by quick-service restaurants. “If operators spend the time and build their database correctly, Restaurant365 offers endless possibilities they can capitalize on to guide their business,” Cowan says.
To learn more about product management, visit the Restaurant365 website.
Abby Winterburn