Introduction example: Powerful support for your long-awaited independent opening. “With the POS register’s analysis features, the daily trial and error is actually fun.” (Sora Cafe & Dining)

Introduced as a set at the time of opening due to low initial and monthly costs

— What inspired you to start your own business?

I originally worked at a restaurant, but when my son started working as a full-time employee, I took that opportunity to pursue the independence I had been considering for some time.

Also, I’ve been interested in astronomy for as long as I can remember, but there’s no science museum here in Iwaki City, so anyone who wants to experience astronomy has to go outside the city.

So I decided to create a place where people could experience astronomy, and I opened a café-restaurant with astronomy as its theme.

— Could you tell me what kind of shop it is?

Inside the restaurant, a beautiful starry sky is projected at night, and for both lunch and dinner you can enjoy food and drink menus inspired by the planets.

— What prompted you to introduce Respo?

From my many years of working in the restaurant industry, I understood how difficult it is to generate profit when labor and fixed costs pile up, so I felt that if I were to go independent, I would need to keep those expenses down.

At that time, I learned about the service and thought that if I could make good use of it, I might be able to run a lunch operation on my own.

— Did you compare us with other companies?

Yes. Other companies offered tablet-style touch panels installed in the store, but considering the risk of them breaking down, I thought Respo’s self-order system, which lets customers place orders directly from their own smartphones, would be better.

Also, the fact that the Respo reservation ledger has no monthly fee was a big factor, and that made us decide to implement everything together as a full set.

Reducing the burden on both the restaurant and customers to make solo-lunch service possible

— So, how has it been since you actually introduced it?

I feel that this is a system that not only benefits the store side but also reduces the burden on customers.

For example, some customers aren’t sure when to call a staff member to place an order, or feel hesitant to call out in a loud voice. This system lets those people order at their own pace, so it’s really appreciated.

Also, for those who don’t know how to use it or prefer to place their order verbally, we take orders directly, so we’re able to adapt our approach to suit each customer.

— You run the lunch service by yourself as the owner, but had you originally planned to operate solo from the start?

Yes. For dinner we serve alcohol, so we have one more staff member, but when opening the restaurant, we had a guiding principle of basically being able to run it with just one person.

For that reason, in addition to in-store facilities, it was essential to introduce systems such as the Respo self-ordering system.

— How do you usually manage your store’s operations?

When customers enter the restaurant, they first place their own orders using Respo Self-Order. We also have a self-service system for items like water and chopsticks, which customers are asked to get for themselves.

Currently I am serving the dishes myself, but going forward, we’ve designed the facilities with some clever ideas so that during busy times customers can come to the counter to pick up their orders.

Thanks to our customers making good use of the system and cooperating with us, I’ve been able to run everything on my own, which has been a huge help.

A system that’s easy to use and understand, with no training costs and no hassle.

— Were you able to implement the system smoothly?

It took a little time at first to understand the system and be able to use it. However, after being shown how to use it in online meetings and then practicing the operations on my own and actually starting to use it, I realized that it’s a system designed to be very user-friendly and easy to understand.

Because it’s so easy to use, the staff were able to start using it right away without any training, which made things really convenient.

On your AutoReserve store page, you’ve listed almost all of your menu items with photos, right?

Yes. I think customers are curious about what kind of menu items we have and how much they cost, so we post them. In fact, some customers point to the photos and say, “I’d like this one,” and place their order that way, so I feel we’re making good use of them.

Our Instagram posts also say, “From the web reservation URL in our profile, you can view almost all of our menu items, most with photos.” By doing this, we guide interested people to our AutoReserve store page, creating a pathway that leads them to make a reservation from there.

The POS register’s automatic analysis feature also helps with improvements and planning

— At the restaurant where you used to work, did you do things like analyzing sales figures?

At closing time, we used to enter that day’s sales into Excel and manage them there. However, with that method, while we could grasp monthly sales trends and sales for lunch and dinner separately, we weren’t able to analyze more detailed changes beyond that.

— How are you currently using Respo’s POS register?

Respo’s POS register has an automatic analysis function that lets us grasp detailed sales figures, so we’re making very effective use of it.

For example, the number of customers visiting the store and the sales figures for each menu item are automatically counted, allowing you to understand the response to newly introduced menu items in numerical terms.

Since we only opened recently, we’re still going through a daily process of trial and error, but after closing the register each day, we can review that day’s results. Because we can use that to plan our next improvements, we’re able to use it every day while genuinely enjoying the process.

—It seems like this will also be useful when making future plans.

Yes. As I expected, there are many times when the reaction is different from what I had imagined once I actually try something, so having objective numerical data to back things up in those situations is very useful for identifying patterns and planning future measures.

The quick and courteous support is very reassuring, and the ongoing improvements in functionality are also encouraging.

— How is Respo’s support system?

Whenever I have something I don’t understand and contact you by email, you always send a prompt and courteous reply, which is a great help to me.

Since this is a service with customers all over the country, to be honest I thought they’d be so busy that replies wouldn’t come back quickly (lol), but they always respond promptly and politely, and it really reassures me.

—How do you feel about the system’s functionality?

When customers come in as a group and want to pay separately, it’s really convenient if each person can choose their items from the menu on their own smartphone and pay individually, isn’t it?

Previously, when I mentioned that it would be nice to have such a feature, I was told it would be introduced in the near future, and I was really surprised that it was actually implemented shortly after that.

My impression is that it’s being improved every day based on customer feedback and is becoming easier and easier to use.

Please tell us about any features you think would be convenient for our customers.

This feature allows you to make credit card payments. By simply scanning a QR code, you can easily pay as if you were shopping online. Of course, cash payments are also available for those who prefer to pay in cash, so I think it’s convenient for customers to have multiple payment options.

Recommended for shops that want to keep costs down. Introducing it at the time of opening makes things run even more smoothly.

––– What kind of stores is Respo likely to be useful for?

I’d definitely recommend this for small, independently run shops like ours. Many small businesses are already stretched thin just managing day-to-day operations, so I think they’ll really benefit from a system that helps cut labor and fixed costs and eliminates the need to have someone just sitting by the phone.

Also, if you’re planning to open a new store, I think it’s easier to start using it right from the opening. If you introduce it partway through, your operations will have to change and you’ll need to spend time explaining it to staff, so I believe implementing it from the very beginning makes everything run more smoothly.

— Finally, could you tell us about your goals for the shop going forward?

My goal is to make it a place that’s fully booked for the next three months!

We would also love to welcome customers from outside the prefecture. Our shop uses a projector to faithfully recreate and display a starry sky, so I believe a wide range of guests can enjoy it—from those who are knowledgeable about astronomy to those who simply want to enjoy the atmosphere.

Store Information

Sora Cafe & Dining

Address: Yamanohe Building 2F-D, 3-25-3 Hirayagawase, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture
Phone number: 0246-38-6697
Store details:https://autoreserve.com/restaurants/K5xS32da9o3XEyiaNZiz