HOW A LOCAL FAVORITE AND AWARD-WINNING GREEK RESTAURANT IS THRIVING WITH SQUIRREL CLOUD POS
Welcome to our Q&A Spotlight series, where we dive into real-world stories of full-service restaurants finding success with Squirrel POS. We are excited to have Gina, the operations manager, join us to share her experience with Squirrel POS and how it transformed her restaurant’s operations over the past 24 years.
Location: Coquitlam, BC, Canada
# of Seats: 24 tables and 85 seats
Well known for serving the finest Greek cuisine in town, My Greek Taverna is consistently voted as one of the top restaurants in the Tri-Cities (the fastest-growing regions in Metro Vancouver). They have received the local newspaper’s Readers’ Choice Award for 16 consecutive years. From roasted lamb to chicken skaras, their menu boasts an array of authentic dishes. As a family-owned restaurant, they’ve evolved into one of the busiest dining spots in the area and embraced new technology throughout their 24 years in the business. The restaurant started with pen and paper, before installing their first Squirrel point-of-sale system. They recently moved to Squirrel Cloud POS with pay-at-the table, and table-side ordering on its way. Squirrel is delighted to be their first POS and be part of their success as a business.
How would you describe My Greek Taverna to someone who has never visited before?
My Greek Taverna is a family-owned Greek restaurant known for its authentic cuisine. We are located in Coquitlam, it enjoys popularity among locals for its delicious offerings, like roast lamb, chicken dishes, and calamari.
Could you provide details about the seating capacity and table arrangements at My Greek Taverna as well as your Squirrel POS setup?
My Greek Taverna operates within its dining room and bar area, with two terminals. We’ve recently introduced tablets to our servers for table-side ordering to streamline order processing. With 24 tables and a seating capacity of 85 guests, our restaurant offers a cozy and intimate dining experience for all our customers.
On your busiest nights, how many staff members are typically on duty?
During peak hours, we have approximately eight staff members, both front-of-house and back-of-house, to ensure seamless operations.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many restaurants have faced challenges. Could you share some challenges My Greek Taverna has encountered, as well as how you’ve addressed them?
Our biggest win has been getting back our customers and an increase in pick-up orders after the tough times of the pandemic. But the real challenge was grappling with the rising costs of supplies and bills. We had to adapt our pricing strategy, increasing prices while maintaining generous portion sizes, to keep things profitable without compromising on quality.
Technology has played a crucial role in addressing our challenges. We like the Daily Summary Report, which give us with insights into menu favorites to keep us in line with our customer preferences and as well as stock levels, making sure our wine racks and product inventory meet demand without excess burden.
How has technology evolved in your restaurant over the years?
In the early days of the restaurant, we relied on pen and paper to take orders. However, in 2005, we made a significant leap forward by installing our first POS system with Squirrel. This change drastically reduced order processing time from over 2 minutes with handwritten tickets to just 15 seconds with the new system. It undoubtedly increased efficiency twofold compared to the traditional method.
In 2023, we transitioned to Squirrel Cloud POS so we could save the headache of managing a separate host server. With Cloud POS, software updates happen automatically every month, and we don’t have extra server hardware to maintain. Soon, we’ll be introducing tablets to our staff for table-side ordering. We knew introducing new technology can be a challenge, but we found Squirrel Cloud POS was easy to learn, even with staff that were not too tech-savvy.
With table-side ordering on the horizon, we anticipate significant time savings. Currently, servers must walk approximately 2 minutes from the dining area to the terminal station to input orders. With an average of 80–120 tickets processed each night during our operating hours of 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., we estimate potential savings of over 200 minutes per night to handle more tickets with the same number of staff.
How has your experience been with Squirrel POS, and what are some of your favorite features as a manager and server?
Our experience with Squirrel POS has been excellent over the past 17-18 years. As a manager, I appreciate its ease of use for splitting bills, generating detailed sales reports, and managing service charges efficiently. Similarly, servers appreciate features like split bill options, seat transfers, and the intuitive interface for finding menu items quickly.
Would you recommend Squirrel POS to other restaurants or colleagues, and if so, how would you explain its benefits to them?
Absolutely. I would highly recommend Squirrel POS to other restaurants or colleagues. It is easy to use and manage orders, and we have responsive support for any issues we have, making it an ideal choice for busy full-restaurant operations.
