A racetrack restaurant hopes its new table ordering system can make it top dog.
Coral Eurobet's Brighton and Hove Greyhound Stadium has installed a system of hand-held ordering units designed by IT specialists Torex Retail and business partner Javelin Systems.
The management of the restaurant, which on race nights services more than 450 people in just two-and-a-half hours, decided to update the order system because the service was not as quick as it should have been.
Sales of drinks were comparatively low because staff had insufficient time to take repeat orders.
Because the old till system couldn't be used to take both food and drink orders, customers were given two separate bills at the end of the evening, which often led to confusion.
Waiting staff can now input orders at the table using a touchscreen menu on the electronic pads.
The order is then relayed to six different kitchen printer locations via a wireless local area network (WLan).
A runner then delivers the order to the table, allowing waiting staff to remain on the restaurant floor.
Steve Gibbon, Coral's retail sales manager, said:
"The table staff, who no longer have to trek to the kitchen with each order, are able to spend more time with the diners, replenishing their drinks.
Not surprisingly, bar takings have increased sizeably as a result.
"Sales of food extras'
have also risen dramatically, thanks to on-screen prompts which remind the waiting staff to ask diners if the would like side orders with their meal."
He said billing was far more accurate because the orders were electronically recorded and, unlike hand-written notes, there was little room for error.
He also said the system helped control stock levels, alerting management to what items they needed to restock, identifying the most profitable lines and helping them to plan marketing campaigns to maximise returns.
Denny Platt, Torex Retail's hospitality account manager, said:
"Although mobile electronic ordering technology has been available for several years, high costs meant, until recently, it was beyond the realm of all but a few restaurants."
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