It can be a challenge for small and medium sized (SMB) restaurants to compete with their large chain competitors when it comes to mobile technology. 3B Apps has a mission of offering affordable mobile apps to restaurants of all sizes so they can offer their customers the convenience of mobile ordering — and to level the competitive playing field.
The Situation
3B Apps creates branded apps that are designed with the restaurant’s logo, images, and menus, which are formatted for easy ordering and payment. When a customer places an order, it is sent to an iPad in the restaurant’s kitchen where it automatically prints. This function of the solution streamlines online orders for the restaurant, reduces the need for additional labor to enter the order, and eliminates errors that can occur when orders are rekeyed.
The right printer, however, is essential for the greatest efficiency. In a loud, busy kitchen environment, it’s crucial to ensure the kitchen staff doesn’t miss any orders. 3B Apps needed to find printers that offered a level of dependability that wouldn’t leave kitchen staff wondering if they had missed an order or if an order had failed to print.
The 3B Apps team evaluated options for printers to integrate with their apps that would give restaurants the dependability and enhanced workflows they are looking for.
The Solution
After testing numerous printer solutions on the market, 3B Apps chose two of Star Micronics’s printer models, the TSP-100III and the SM-T300i, for several key reasons: the ability to integrate Star’s API, the features of the products, affordability and customer support.
3B Apps incorporates the Star Micronics TSP-100III thermal printer into solutions for the majority of its customers. This high speed (250 mm/s) printer features easy setup, “drop in and print” paper loading, multiple connectivity options and easy Bluetooth pairing.
For 3B Apps’ customers that need increased mobility and durability — in food truck applications, for example — the Star Micronics SM-T300i provides the functionality they need from an ultra-rugged mobile thermal receipt printer. This printer, MFi certified for use with iOS devices, is easy to use and maintain, making it the perfect “kitchen gadget.”
