Erik's DeliCafé Increases Sales And Improves Efficiency With Restaurant Technology

Since 1973, Erik's DeliCafé has been serving gourmet sandwiches, soups and salads, and is one of the largest owners of potbelly stoves in the United States, which were once used to heat the restaurants. With 27 locations in California's Bay Area, Erik's DeliCafé is also one of the largest users of alfalfa sprouts in the country, emphasizing its goal of providing healthy meals with fresh and high-quality ingredients. In 2009, Erik's built a new corporate store with its first point-of-sale technology, including the Aloha Enterprise solution and Radiant hardware.

Challenge
Prior to implementing new technology to more efficiently manage its operations, Erik's locations were using a simple cash register and hand-written checks to process orders. "We were basically running on the honor system and trying to make food purchasing and menu decisions without any real analysis," says Tony Bendana, senior vice president and COO of Erik's DeliCafé. "I knew that our restaurants would become more efficient and be able to increase sales by investing in restaurant technology, but I also wanted to have local support so our franchisees would be comfortable using a new system." Bendana researched close to a dozen potential technology providers to decide which company's solution would be the easiest to use and be the right fit for his needs.