When Dublin restaurateur Patrick O’Reilly opened the doors of the Alexis Bar & Grill, he knew he had all the right ingredients: his chef brother Alan in the kitchen and, to ensure smooth day-to-day running, an impeccable major-domo in the form of Maitre’D software from Hospitality IT.
O’Reilly, a management accountant, had the experience to recognise that tasty cuisine and a decent wine list could not on their own ensure a successful restaurant. Tip-top service was crucial, and for this aspect he knew he needed a reliable electronic point of sale (EPoS) system. He had five selection criteria: price, functionality, user friendliness, technical support, and for the solution to be restaurant specific.
He eventually chose the award winning Maitre’D software from Hospitality IT, which has offices in Dublin and Belfast. Others using Maitre’D include O’Briens sandwich bars, the Radisson Roe Park Hotel, and international chains Dunkin Donuts and Popeye’s.
Staff in Alexis Bar & Grill input all orders via 15-in colour Jiva touch-screen point of sale terminals. These have the Maitre’D software loaded and configured to the user’s specifications. Food orders are printed in the kitchen while drinks orders are sent to the bar so that all orders are automatically entered on customer bills, saving time and reducing preparation errors.
Patrick O’Reilly enthuses: “The system has virtually eliminated paperwork for the kitchen and bar.”
The system is also useful for analysis, enabling management to determine spend per head and to easily spot customer preferences.
The restaurant runs a stock-take every night, and the Maitre’D software has streamlined this process. “Negative stock variances have been almost eliminated,” says O’Reilly.
Hospitality IT, sole distributor of the software, provides online technical support and training, with remote diagnostics and a secure encrypted connection to every computer or point of sale terminal on the network. The Jiva terminals, from distributor PC Cubed, carry a three-year onsite hardware warranty.
For the O’Reilly brothers, it’s a recipe for success.
Ltd
