Issue link: https://insights.hungerrush.com/i/1413563
Challenge When the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, Mike was fearful for the impact on his pizzeria. However, the Nelsons quickly developed a plan. Within 24 hours of the Illinois Governor's order to close dine-in facilities, the Little Pops team converted the restaurant into a curbside pick-up and delivery- only concept built for volume and speed. Within hours, the team: • Converted the dining area to an operations center for staging and storage • Secured extra freezer space to store additional food items and ingredients • Converted the patio area to a curb pick-up area with six stations • Designed a no-contact system using text messaging and voice calls to queue orders • Initiated a gi card special offer – purchase a $125 gi card for $100 to secure additional cash • Communicated with 5,000 contacts stored in the Revention POS system and 7,000 Facebook followers to announce Little Pops new protocols "We tore the dining room apart and converted it into storage and pick up stations," says Mike. "We brought in two double-door coolers for extra cold storage and gained access to a vacant freezer in our complex to give us more capacity." "For the no-contact pick up system, we have people text us their name and number when they arrive" adds Mike. "When their order is ready, we place it on a station then call the customer to let them know it is ready." Mike retained his entire staff and repurposed his crews to man phones, expedite orders and communicate with customers. "We still have 20 people working on busy nights, and we have not missed a beat." The Results The results of Mike and Vicki's swi actions have been astounding. • Nightly pizza volume has increased from 200 - 250 to over 400 • Little Pops sold over $22,500 in gi cards in the first 10 days • Wait time for pizzas has increased to two hours at peak times for both pickup and delivery due to popularity "We are fortunate in that we were able to communicate to our customers right away. Signing up customers for our Loyalty program and ensuring that we have current contact information in the Revention POS system has really paid off," adds Mike. "We are learning how to use the Revention POS better every day to manage orders, keep customers happy and to set expectations on wait times." Case Study hungerrush.com