Presto Cucina

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Download PDF Squirrel Systems' latest restaurant POS system helps longtime customer Presto Cucina add efficiencies to their unique dining concept

Introduction

In the restaurant business, regulars are your best customers. So when restaurateur and long-time Squirrel Systems devotee Debbie Martin Del Campo joined Intercity Foodservices as the Concept Leader of its new Presto Cucina chain, she pushed to have the company adopt Squirrel's point-of-sale system. She was well aware of the fact that good service results in customer loyalty and without a strong POS system, good service is difficult to master.

Presto Cucina is an "Italian casual" chain with four locations in the lower mainland of British Columbia - the first one opened in Abbotsford in 2002. The restaurant concept is distinctively different, with a combination of self-serve and service that gives guests the chance to see and choose what they order, and then enjoy being served at their seat. Each location features Mediterranean-style décor, and has an average of 60 to 80 seats. Quick service along with great food is a key to their success.

Situation

Before the first Presto Cucina location opened for business, the company had to choose a restaurant POS system. As Concept Leader, Martin Del Campo evaluated several solutions out on the market, and presented the various options to her superiors knowing full well the Squirrel POS system was likely a shoe-in.

?I?ve been a fan of Squirrel Systems since I first encountered the technology in 1985,? Martin Del Campo says. "Their systems are truly made with restaurants in mind, and have a user-friendly design that's easy to learn - training time is minimal."

In addition to deploying a system that was user-friendly, the Presto Cucina organization needed a solution that would:

  • keep up with the fast-paced, unique restaurant environment
  • be highly reliable
  • allow staff to be easily trained on the system
  • provide remote management and reporting capabilities for their head office
  • require minimal maintenance and allow staff to focus on service rather than fussing with the technology
  • produce real-time reports for each location

Solution

Presto Cucina opted for a solution from Squirrel Systems, just as Martin Del Campo predicted. In fact, the company chose to be a beta testing site for SquirrelOne, Squirrel's newest restaurant management and POS offering, which has a 32-bit client/server application and is fully integrated with the latest Microsoft operating environment. The POS client is ergonomically designed by human factors engineers, industrial designers, graphic artists, Squirrel end-users and Microsoft to give restaurant staff the benefit of an error-proof and easy-to-use interface.

Functionality

SquirrelOne includes modules that support credit card, loyalty, gift card, reservations/waitlist, business intelligence, take-out & delivery, time & attendance, inventory control, kitchen display, security video - all desirable POS features for restaurateurs. And as usual, Squirrel support staff was on hand for opening day of the first Presto Cucina restaurant to make sure the system was up and running.

"We always provide our customer with hands-on support during the opening of a site. In Presto's case, it went so smoothly that our on-site support technician was in the back kitchen helping to do the dishes!" says Ted Smith, Regional Manager, Squirrel Systems.

Benefits

Presto Cucina found being a beta site for the SquirrelOne solution was a beneficial experience for the restaurant management team.

"We truly enjoyed being a part of the beta experience," says Martin Del Campo. "We really got to see how things ran behind the scenes, and were able to pass on our feedback to Squirrel about our experience using the product. We knew that our feedback would help make SquirrelOne a top-of-the-line solution."

The SquirrelOne solution is now up and running in all four Presto Cucina locations, bringing a number of benefits to the restaurants' management, floor staff and customers.

"One key benefit is the fact that there is virtually no training required when it comes to this system," says Martin Del Campo. "The company used to bring in consultants to train staff and now that we're using Squirrel, we have eliminated that expense because it just isn't necessary."

In addition, Presto Cucina is realizing the following benefits from the SquirrelOne solution:

  • high POS solution reliability
  • cost savings as a result of being centrally managed from head office
  • consistency due to corporate management
  • easy on-site reporting ability for floor managers

"I have always had complete confidence in Squirrel Systems, and from day one they have treated us like we're their only customer," says Martin Del Campo. "With such a valued partnership in place I can rest assured that we will continue to grow together in years to come."

Barry Logan, president of Squirrel Systems, says the company's great partnership with Presto Cucina shows the strength of Squirrel's solutions in the field.

"Squirrel's success with this type of restaurant concept further demonstrates our ability and flexibility to provide the very best in tailored solutions to our valued customer base," Logan says.

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