Introduction example: "If we hadn’t implemented it, we might not have been able to run the restaurant" – Introduced self-ordering and a reservation ledger for the grand opening (Sumibi Yakiniku Kintaro)

There are surprisingly few services that let you use both POS registers and self-ordering.

— Please tell me about your shop.

As a casual yakiniku izakaya, we offer high-quality grilled meat, à la carte dishes, and drinks at reasonable prices. Our signature dish, “Mala Yakiniku,” is marinated in our original “mala sauce,” and is highly praised for its addictive harmony of spiciness, numbing heat, and sweetness.

Our customers span a very wide range of ages, and since the restaurant is non-smoking and fully equipped with a kids’ room, we also have many guests who come with children.

— Please tell us why you decided to consider implementing Respo Self-Order and the Respo Reservation Ledger.

It all started because my wife, who is the manager, is from China, and I wanted to prevent any misunderstandings when taking orders. Also, I was hoping to reduce labor costs as much as possible. None of the restaurants around me had introduced a self-ordering system, so I looked it up on the internet, narrowed it down to about three companies, and then contacted them to compare things like the system details and pricing before making a decision.

— What was the deciding factor in choosing to implement it?

Compared to other companies, the features looked easy to use and it seemed like we could keep costs down. Since Respo Self-Order and Respo Reservation Ledger are managed on an iPad, we also felt that even if we ended up not being able to use them well and they didn’t work out, we could still use the iPad for other purposes (laughs).

Another reason is that there were very few companies offering both POS registers and self-ordering systems. It’s much easier to deal with just one company, and since we could also use the reservation ledger system for a monthly fee of 0 yen, we decided to introduce Respo Self-Order and the Respo Reservation Ledger.

Because the features aren’t complicated, you can start using it with just a little practice.

— How do you like using Respo Self-Order and the Respo Reservation Ledger?

Respo Self-Order isn’t complicated, so with just a little practice we were able to start using it right away, which was a big help. Above all, it’s great that we can focus on cooking and serving. The manager and I often say, “If we didn’t have this, we probably wouldn’t be able to run the restaurant so smoothly,” that’s how much we rely on it. On weekdays it’s just the manager and me, and on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays we have one part-timer for a three-person team, but if we hadn’t introduced the system, I think we would have needed to hire at least one more staff member.

Also, since the POS register is equipped with functions that allow us to analyze sales, we’re hoping to thoroughly analyze that data going forward and use it to help increase our revenue.

The Respo reservation ledger can be managed digitally, so it’s convenient and makes it easy to grasp and check the number of reservations and their times. At the moment, most reservations are still made by phone, but as online reservations increase, I think you’ll really start to feel how user-friendly it is.

Highlight that using self-ordering lets customers place orders at a better value

— How do customers react to self-ordering?

Ever since we first opened, our shop has used self-ordering, so customers don’t seem to feel much resistance to it. However, because we didn’t know how extensively they would actually use the self-ordering system, and we also wanted to create opportunities for communication with our customers, we keep our standard items on a paper menu and let people know, “If you use the self-ordering system, you can also find limited-time items and special-value menus.”

Thanks in part to that, before we opened I was hoping that maybe 70–80% of customers would use it, but in reality almost all of our customers use the self-order system.

We want to create a pathway to online reservations and make better use of the Respo reservation ledger.

— Do you have any plans for the future of the shop?

Our first goal is to fill up weekdays, and to do that I feel we also need to create pathways that lead customers to online reservations. For example, right now our shop’s website only lists our phone number and email address, so we could add a URL and QR code that direct people to our AutoReserve store page, and highlight the fact that they can make reservations online...

Online reservations are convenient for customers, and since reservations from AutoReserve are automatically linked to the Respo reservation ledger, it also saves time and effort for the restaurant, which is great. Once that flow is in place, I think we’ll be able to make even better use of the reservation ledger.

— What kind of stores would you like to recommend Respo Self-Order and the Respo Reservation Ledger to?

I think it’s a great fit for small, low-staff shops like ours. It can be introduced at low cost, and the setup isn’t difficult, so even people who aren’t very comfortable with machines will find it easy to use.

Store Information

Charcoal-Grilled BBQ Kintaro

Address: 2-10-1 Hitotsuyama, Tempaku Ward, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture
Phone number: 052-875-6975
Store details:https://autoreserve.com/restaurants/DqTErLFdSGPueVJwCszs