Granite City Gains Consistency and Enhances Capacity Management with QSR’s Kitchen Display and Table Management Solutions
QSR Automations, a leading provider of in-store, online, and mobile technology solutions for restaurant businesses worldwide, announces that Granite City Food & Brewery Ltd. is implementing a comprehensive ConnectSmart kitchen display and table management software and hardware solution within its two casual dining concepts, Granite City Food & Brewery and Cadillac Ranch All American Bar & Grill. With the rollout scheduled for completion in 2014, Granite City is experiencing improvements in consistency and capacity management while gaining access to critical data that allows the company to track the overall guest experience.
“Granite City is a company with an obsessive focus on freshness and a view that technology is an enabler for efficient, consistent execution of our business – and partnering with QSR has paid big dividends,” commented Bob Scheidecker, leader of the operations services team for Granite City. “One of the key reasons we selected QSR’s ConnectSmart is because it is an entire innovative package of highly flexible software solutions that answers our growing needs. With ConnectSmart, we can take care of our guests as they come in the front door, all the way through their dining experience.”
To drive food quality and accuracy in its made-from-scratch kitchens, Granite City relies on QSR’s ConnectSmart Kitchen (CSK) kitchen display software and ConnectSmart TeamAssist recipe viewer software. With the CSK, each menu item from an order is graphically displayed based on cook times at the specific station responsible for preparing that item, so that every item efficiently completes together. TeamAssist puts customized preparation instructions, including photos and videos, at the fingertips of chefs and assemblers.
Granite City powers the CSK and TeamAssist with QSR’s purpose-built xCeed and eXpert controllers, designed for fast-paced restaurant environments. To provide flexibility for maximum ease and speed, Granite City installs QSR’s KP-7500 keypads as well as touch screen monitors at each display station, offering kitchen team members a choice of bump or touch for each action. And because the kitchens are in view of guests, QSR’s aesthetically pleasing bracketing is crucial.
“We host a lot of large groups, and QSR’s CSK ensures we can prepare our products in a timely manner then deliver them together fresh, no matter the party size, even during our busiest times,” continued Scheidecker. “And because the CSK and TeamAssist take the guesswork out of the equation, our kitchen team is much happier.”
Granite City further increases table turns and guest satisfaction with QSR’s ConnectSmart Hostess for seating and wait list management and ConnectSmart GuestView to graphically display wait list information to guests. QSR’s eXperts also run the stationary hostess stands while off-the-shelf iOS devices are used for mobile greeting and seating, ensuring Granite City can best care for their crowds as they come in the door and while they wait.
“Taking pride that we do often have a wait, with parties of all sizes, we leverage QSR’s Hostess to keep our entryway organized and provide our guests with accurate wait time quotes, which are based on historical information,” added Scheidecker. “And with QSR’s GuestView, we can share branded messages with our guests while they enjoy themselves in the bar area in view of large screens that allow them to keep an eye on their place on the list.”
To further boost productivity and service, Granite City uses pagers to alert team members for certain kitchen events, and utilizes busser buttons that talk to the hostess stations so that as a table clears, the hostess is already paging the party that will be seated at that table. Managers carry smartphones, so they can view the wait list and seating information from anywhere at any time. Additionally, Granite City collects kitchen and hostess data at an enterprise level.
“We have a great operations team, and it is key that they receive the insight they need to constantly create the best guest experience,” said Scheidecker. “Data provides that insight, and ConnectSmart provides critical production data and guest data to help us view the overall dining experience for each party.”
Scheidecker concluded, “Our team members are extremely pleased with QSR’s ConnectSmart solutions, which are helping us operate better, more efficient restaurants for our guests. We look forward to leveraging even more ConnectSmart capabilities to improve convenience for our team members and our guests, such as providing our guests a way to view wait times online and then get on our wait list via the Web.”
Granite City Food & Brewery Ltd. develops and operates two casual dining concepts: Granite City Food & Brewery and Cadillac Ranch All American Bar & Grill. Granite City Food & Brewery is a polished casual American restaurant that features a great dining experience with affordable, high-quality menu items prepared from made-from-scratch recipes, served in generous portions. There is a brewery onsite, serving hand-crafted and micro brews. Granite City opened its first restaurant in 1999 and is expanding nationwide; there are currently 28 Granite City restaurants in 13 states. Cadillac Ranch restaurants feature freshly prepared, authentic, All-American cuisine in a fun, dynamic environment. Its patrons enjoy a warm, Rock N’ Roll inspired atmosphere, with plenty of room for friends, music and dancing. The Cadillac Ranch menu is diverse with offerings ranging from homemade meatloaf to pasta dishes, all freshly prepared using quality ingredients. The Company purchased its first Cadillac Ranch in November 2011 and has since purchased five additional Cadillac Ranch restaurants along with its intellectual property. The Company currently operates six Cadillac Ranch restaurants in five states. Additional information about Granite City Food & Brewery can be found at www.gcfb.com.
Established in 1996, QSR Automations provides revolutionary in-store, online, and mobile guest management systems to help restaurant businesses of all sizes and concepts around the world – including table service, quick service, fast casual, bar, concession, pizza, multi-concept, and other unique dining environments – to measurably increase efficiency and quality, creating positive and memorable guest experiences each and every visit. QSR’s comprehensive ConnectSmart software and hardware solutions include kitchen display and recipe viewer, as well as seating and wait list management with web and mobile call aheads and reservations. Backed by QSR’s extensive experience with casual and fine dining operators, the innovative DineTime iPad app enables restaurants to effectively organize and control wait lists, notify guests via text message, and perform seating management to improve speed and service while gaining access to real-time statistics and collecting valuable guest information. For further information on ConnectSmart, visit www.qsrautomations.com. Learn more and sign up for DineTime at www.dinetime.com. Or contact QSR at qsr@qsrautomations.com or 502-297-0221.