To run our business sustainably, introducing self-ordering was essential (Kalgamo Terrace).

Our restaurant serves spice curry, shaved ice, and house-roasted coffee. Because there were no eateries in the surrounding area, we decided to create a place where people in the community could relax, and opened in December 2018.

Our signature dish is the “Two-Curry Plate,” where you can enjoy both our richly aromatic “Fragrant Curry,” made with plenty of spices, and our most popular, deeply flavorful “Butter Chicken Curry,” all on one plate. We use no chemical seasonings or additives, and many customers even come from outside the prefecture, saying they can enjoy curry here that “naturally makes you feel energized.”

The trigger was not only the recent surge in raw material costs but also in labor costs, and the fact that, since COVID-19 was reclassified as Category 5, sudden absences due to part-time staff falling ill have increased. I began to feel a growing sense of crisis, thinking that if we continued with an operation that relies on staff numbers—where people handle both ordering and payment as we have until now—“we’ll be in serious trouble in the near future.”

To address this issue, we concluded that digital transformation was an urgent priority and decided to introduce a system that enables self-ordering and online payments.

The fact that it supports online payments and offers pricing that is considerate of restaurants is important to us. When we were looking to implement a system, we first compared about six companies, then narrowed it down to three and held online meetings with them. The sales and technical staff treated our situation as their own and responded sincerely, which made us feel, “If it’s like this, we’ll be fine with support after implementation as well.” That was a major factor. In reality, since implementation, they have responded sincerely to each of our inquiries and requests, and it has been a great help.

Previously, we had customers write down their orders and pay first before we showed them to their seats, but that inevitably meant we kept them waiting. Now, however, we guide customers to their seats first and have them place their orders themselves, so there’s almost no waiting time anymore! Thankfully, the number of customers has been increasing since this summer, yet we’re still able to seat and serve them smoothly, so the results have exceeded our expectations. Since the staff can focus on making drinks and serving them, both speed and table turnover have improved.

Before we introduced the system, whenever a staff member suddenly called in sick, we would switch to takeout-only service. But after implementation, the fear that we wouldn’t be able to offer eat-in service has almost disappeared. Just the other day, we got a sudden absence notice from a staff member, and in the past I probably would have felt defeated and switched to takeout-only. This time, though, I was able to think positively: “We’ve got self-ordering, so we might be okay!” In fact, we operated as usual with fewer staff, and we were able to run the business without any problems.

We were worried that switching to self-ordering might reduce communication with our customers. But once we actually started using it, improving our operations freed up more time. We can now use that time to walk around the dining area and talk with customers, and it seems customers also find it easier to speak to us, so we’ve been hearing more comments like “It was delicious” and “I felt relaxed.” Not only has communication with customers increased, but communication among staff has also grown, which has helped reduce turnover and keep people working with us longer, and that makes me very happy.RespoI truly feel from the bottom of my heart that introducing self-ordering was the right decision.

At this point, nearly 60% of payments are made online. I believe that in order to encourage online payments, it is important not only to introduce the system but also to make a clear and thorough initial announcement.

At our shop, we place a guide titled “How to order and pay online” on the tables and let customers know, “You can now complete everything from ordering to payment right at your table, so please feel free to give it a try if you like.” We also regularly post on Instagram to let people know that online payment is available. As a result, the share of online payments has increased. Once customers get used to it, they enjoy using online payment and say things like, “This is so convenient!” while settling their bill.

Our shop is only open on Saturdays and Sundays, but we’ve received many requests from customers who want to enjoy our food on weekdays as well. To respond to those requests, we plan to install a frozen curry vending machine and launch online sales within this year. So that all of our customers can feel energized, we will continue to pursue both “delicious flavor” and “food that makes your body happy.”

I want to recommend this to every restaurant and café! I deeply understand the exhaustion caused by rising costs of ingredients and labor, and the hesitation that comes with initial investment and running costs. But after we implemented it, we were able to put more energy into product development and management, which led to great results. I believe introducing self-ordering will be the key to avoiding a future where businesses are worn out and no longer sustainable. I hope it becomes more widespread, first helping to solve the labor shortage, and enabling restaurants in Japan to build a bright future.

Address: 6493 Okazaki, Isehara City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Store details:https://autoreserve.com/restaurants/Y2RyFX7da6VgkHdSrEFM