How Panini Grill eliminates chaos from menus and tablets with Otter & TODC

Panini Grill, a bustling eatery in New York City, has prided itself on offering quality food to its customers for over two decades. It serves and delivers more than a thousand orders daily with delicious offerings, from toasted paninis, sandwiches, quesadillas, and burritos to wraps and gourmet salads. They also serve coffee, tea, and smoothies – all the basics for a humming New Yorker’s life.

Like many other restaurants, Panini Grill encountered significant hurdles in managing multiple locations across NYC during its day-to-day work: handling orders, coordinating deliveries, and ensuring seamless operations.

This case study shows how Panini Grill leverages The On Demand Company (TODC) and Otter’s solutions to overcome challenges and streamline operations. 

The Challenge

The team at Panini Grill needed help navigating challenging times during the COVID-19 pandemic. They understood that in order to stay ahead and relevant in today’s boiling restaurant industry, they needed to embrace new order channels and improve their efficiency.

Sri Burra, the owner of Panini Grill, enlisted The On Demand Company (TODC) to drive growth and optimize their online operations. After reviewing their day-to-day activities, TODC developed a dynamic marketing strategy focused on enhancing online delivery sales through Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub with new virtual brands like Jewel’s Breakfast Joint, Maria’s Italian Meatballs, Mexican Cocina, Snobby Chicken Wings, and Smoothie Squeeze. TODC's expertise not only expanded Panini Grill’s revenue streams, but also capitalized on existing resources to their maximum capacity.

Due to the increase in order volume, Panini Grill struggled with changes in internal processes required to fulfill the volume that came in through delivery apps. Managing numerous tablets for online orders led to confusion and inefficiencies, with staff spending valuable time sorting through orders and navigating multiple tablets.

Sri recalls, “TODC really helped the business a lot during COVID-19.” He vividly remembers: "It was chaotic. With multiple tablets came multiple issues: printing errors, order mix-ups, and wasted time." Additionally, the sheer volume of orders during busy periods strained the restaurant's capacity to promptly fulfill them.

The Solution

In addition to TODC’s Platform Direct service, Panini Grill deployed Otter to ease its operational challenges. By integrating TODC's digital storefront platform with Otter's Order Manager, the Panini Grill team gained a unified approach to order processing and management, consolidating orders from all its delivery platforms and simplifying the process for its team.

Get to know TODC’s Platform Direct to manage your online presence and grow sales on delivery platforms and Otter’s Order Manager to get your orders in order – all from one place.

The impact of TODC and Otter on the restaurant’s business was immediate. TODC’s brand management drove hundreds of orders per day and helped the business grow. Otter eliminated the chaos of managing multiple tablets by consolidating orders onto a single platform. Sri remarks, "Now, everything is one tablet, and it's printing in one printer. It's a significant time-saver." With Otter's Auto-Accept function and kitchen ticket generation, Panini Grill's team no longer wastes time deciphering orders or searching for misplaced tablets.

Ray Ali, CEO of TODC, also recalls how the Panini Grill team used to spend several minutes finding the source of incoming orders, which resulted in slow order confirmations and cancellations due to delayed response times. He highlights how TODC integrates with Otter into a unified aggregate tablet and printer, simplifying the process for Panini Grill to track their orders.

The Results

Nowadays, Panini Grill, together with TODC and Otter, generates more revenue while maintaining its quality, keeping their efficiency consistent and making their customers happy. Earlier this year, they generated $27,000 in monthly revenue, and increased their average order value (AOV) up to $24. Panini Grill's average store rating rose to 4.1 and faced only 4 order issues out of the thousands they received in an entire month, accomplished with a less than 1.5% cancellation rate.

The key benefits Panini Grill gained from working with both TODC and Otter were:

• Eased Platform Management: Panini Grill benefits financially from launching TODC’s Platform Direct service and receiving extra online orders, diversifying its income and improving its cash flow. This maximizes its capacity while keeping its overhead, space, staff, and equipment costs the same.
• Streamlined Order Management: Panini Grill can now consolidate all incoming orders onto a single device, eliminating the need for multiple tablets. This helps them simplify their order process and reduces the time spent on double entries and deciphering orders.
• Enhanced Efficiency: Panini Grill now saves time (and money) by routing orders automatically to their kitchen printer through Otter. Their staff no longer has to manually confirm orders or navigate through various menus, allowing them to focus on preparing and fulfilling orders promptly.
• Improved Customer Service: Panini Grill delivers a better customer experience because orders are processed swiftly, reducing customer wait times and ensuring prompt meal delivery.
• Increased Capacity: Panini Grill now handles a higher volume of orders with their optimized order management system, even during peak hours. Otter’s scalability allows them to maximize their revenue potential without sacrificing service quality.

The Future

The Panini Grill team recognizes the importance of staying ahead of the curve as online ordering and delivery trends persist. They plan to continue leveraging TODC and Otter's solutions to enhance their NYC operations further.

Panini Grill aims to remain competitive in an evolving industry landscape by continuing to use technology and innovation. Sri envisions a future where technology is central to the restaurant industry. He anticipates "everything's gonna be online," highlighting the shift towards online storefronts and cloud-based operations. Panini Grill is well-positioned to embrace the future of dining and delivery with Otter and TODC by its side.

Conclusion

Panini Grill's journey with The On Demand Company (TODC) and Otter highlights the transformative power of technology in supporting the restaurant industry. They not only weathered the storm but came back stronger and more efficient than ever before with TODC and Otter – proving that both resilience and innovation are key to driving success in the restaurant world.

Panini Grill overcame operational challenges, increased efficiency, and elevated their customer experience by adopting a unified approach to order management. Both TODC and Otter will remain integral partners in the restaurant’s journey toward sustained success.

Reach out if you have any questions, or would like more information on how Otter  can help your restaurant.

About Panini Grill

Panini Grill is a beloved deli in the heart of New York City, offering a delectable array of salads, sandwiches, and more. 

With a commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, they continue to delight New Yorkers with their flavorful offerings and innovative dining and delivery approach.

Sri's favorite combo for first-timers:  Italian panini 🥪 + Buen día NY smoothie🥤