CST installs latest hi-tech kitchen automation at The Folly in Gracechurch Street
A sophisticated kitchen software system is set to help fast-growing London bar chain Drake and Morgan deliver a new level of food service when it opens its latest venue, The Folly, in October 2010.
Located in Gracechurch Street, in the heart of the City and just a short walk from London Bridge, The Folly will be the company’s fourth site, and the latest to rely on the new QSR ConnectSmart Kitchen® system from QSR Automations®, supplied and installed by Call-Systems Technology.
ConnectSmart Kitchen allows chefs to work with a new level of efficiency in cooking. It ensures dishes are prepared in the best sequence so that table orders leave the kitchen as quickly as possible and in perfect condition.
The Folly is a remarkable 13,200 sq.ft. 500-cover multi-purpose venue that’s far more than just a restaurant and bar. It also includes a deli and flower shop, a private dining room and even a snug library and private vaults. The Folly has been described as “London’s secret garden, bringing a botanical feel to an urban area.” It’s an all-day venue, open from 7:30am until late and serving a seasonal food menu alongside a premium and eclectic drinks list.
The Folly’s size and complexity means extra pressure on the kitchen and front of house to give perfect and efficient food service along with the high quality menu. Jillian MacLean, managing director at Drake and Morgan, says that in order to achieve this, the company needs to use advanced technology. That includes ConnectSmart, which she says has had a “tremendous” impact on customer service. “It works very well for us,” she adds.
How ConnectSmart Kitchen works at The Folly:
As soon as waiting staff key the table’s food orders into the restaurant’s EPOS system, ConnectSmart Kitchen calculates the different preparation times for each item on the table order. For example, if a customer wants a steak cooked in a particular way or a salad dressed in a different style that requires special preparation, the system will allow for this.
It then assigns the order to the relevant kitchen station, telling each chef what to cook next. If they need a reminder, they can touch the screen to bring up specification cards that give the recipe and images of the dish. Everything is calculated to ensure all the food for a table is ready simultaneously.
ConnectSmart Kitchen can interface with most modern POS and EPOS restaurant systems, and represents a major step forward from the conventional paper-based approach to kitchen communications. It also means chefs don’t have to think about the individual timings of each dish, because the system automatically alerts them when they need to start cooking a dish – giving them one less thing to worry about during service.
Drake and Morgan say ConnectSmart Kitchen has also proved invaluable in helping to calculate the actual preparation and cooking times when preparing new menu items.
Drake & Morgan already uses the ConnectSmart Kitchen system in its other London sites, including the parlour at Canary Wharf and The Anthologist at Gresham Street. “The system is very efficient, so staff have taken to it well,” says Taskin Muzaffer, manager at the parlour. “It’s also very easy to train new staff to use it.”
For details freephone Call-Systems Technology on 0800 389 5642, email the company at sales@call-systems.com or visit the CST website www.call-systems.com