Mobile Payment Technology Reduces Order Time and Increases Sales for Busy Gastropub

Introduction

Founded in 2006, Crosstown Pub & Grill is a popular gastropub with locations in Naperville, IL, and atavia, IL. Crosstown prides itself on being a local neighborhood establishment where guests enjoy fresh, gourmet food, a superb selection of pints, cocktails and wines, and excellent service. For chef and owner Jim Nichols Sr., Crosstown fulfills a passion and dream of owning his own restaurant and pub.

The Challenge

Over 100 major businesses are located near Crosstown, making it a popular lunchtime destination. With the typical 60-minute lunch break, customers need to come in, eat, and pay their check very quickly. “The customer experience is very fickle. If it takes thirty minutes to eat, they’re not going to want to come back,” says Nichols. Crosstown servers need to be able work quickly and on the fly since the restaurant encompasses a vast territory including a dining room, bar, and outdoor patio. Crosstown opened with an old POS system that didn’t allow for any sort of customization or mobility, making the order process slow and cumbersome – up to 25 minutes with cooking time. Nichols wanted a POS solution that would be customizable, save steps, and save time for his wait staff and customers.

The Solution

After an unsuccessful trial run with another POS solution, Nichols discovered Touch Bistro™, an iPad® POS specifically designed for restaurants. TouchBistro lets servers quickly place orders and process payments tableside, and supports a sign on- screen option for a paperless experience. With integrated Mercury® payment processing, Crosstown now has a seamless mobile ordering and payment solution.

“It’s a really streamlined process for a POS. And for the restaurant industry specifically, it’s great. This is the future of ordering.”

“The top three reasons why we chose this solution were simply on the front end – being able to change things on an order immediately. Then being able to swipe the payment card securely at the point of sale. Then having the customer sign on-screen, and email them the receipt. Everybody loves that,“ said Nichols. Nichols explains that the system not only streamlines the ordering process so food comes out faster, but also allows for order changes and additions, and the ability to close out tabs more quickly. “You can’t do all that with a written format,” said Nichols. “You have to do that with technology.”

Value

The ability to get customers in and out in fifteen minutes – as opposed to 30 minutes or longer – has tremendously increased Crosstown’s business and cinched more repeat business. Nichols states that during the restaurant’s highest periods, they turn over 176 more tables than previously, which equates to at least $2,000 a night, four nights a week. “People from the business community can come in and leave within fifteen, twenty minutes,” he says.

“They’re able to come in to a great place, great location, great atmosphere, within the same amount of time as a fast food restaurant, and have great food.”

Technology helped us reduce over seven minutes of wait time off what it took to get an order.

Customers like the format of the tablet POS because they get their check and swipe their card at the table, with no paper receipts. As one loyal patron notes, “It makes life easier.”

Employees are happy, too. Turnover is minimal, and tips are higher. Servers say they make more money because of the POS system’s ease of access. “Technology helped us reduce over seven minutes of wait time off what it took to get an order,” said Nichols. “It’s a really streamlined process for a POS. And for the restaurant industry specifically, it’s great. This is the future of ordering.”

iPad and Touch Bistro are registered or unregistered marks belonging to one or more unaffiliated third parties that do not endorse or sponsor Mercury Payment Systems, LLC.

Mercury Payment Systems, a Vantiv company, (NYSE: VNTV), is simplifying business by partnering with software companies and technology services firms to embed payment processing in front and back office applications. Mercury’s commerce technology is integrated into a broad set of point of sale systems, reaching merchants through an extensive partner network of more than 3,000 point-of-sale software developers and value-added resellers. Mercury’s award-winning customer service and value-added solutions help merchants streamline their business and build revenue through simple to use commerce solutions. For more information, visit www.mercurypay.com or the company’s locations in Durango or Denver, Colorado.

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