C&H Hawaiian Grill was a long-time passion project, founded by Hensan and Cora Timo. They have been in business for 16 years, starting in Killeen, TX, serving hearty island BBQ. The Timo family wanted to share the “Aloha” spirit with their community combining the essence of vibrant Hawaiian experiences with a laid-back atmosphere. They recently opened their Austin, TX location and plan to open in San Antonio, TX in May, 2021.
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The Situation
The SituationLike many other independent restaurants, C&H Hawaiian Grill felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and were forced to shift their business model. Prior to the pandemic, C&H used third-party delivery services such as Uber Eats and DoorDash, and hired someone full-time to handle delivery and pickup orders via phone. When the global pandemic hit, the amount of delivery and pickup orders coming in via phone quickly became too much to handle manually.
The Solution
Since their current third-party ordering services did not have a solution for curbside pickup, and many of their orders were still call-ins, C&H knew they needed another solution. That’s where UBMe and Star Micronics come in.
UBMe offers a social, mobile technology that is built to help local businesses connect with their customers. UBMe’s seamless technology allowed C&H customers to search and order food directly through the app for curbside pick up. Even more, the app allowed C&H to communicate with these customers when they arrived to pick up their orders with specific safety instructions and procedures.
C&H started by installing the UBMe platform without the Star printer, but quickly realized it was too difficult to track the orders coming to their tablet or phone. Once they installed Star’s mC-Print3 with CloudPRNT technology, online ordering became a breeze. Orders placed through the UBMe app would print directly to the kitchen so they could begin food prep right away.
“UBMe and Star helped solve an issue that we never expected to arise,” says Hensan Timo, Owner of C&H Hawaiian Grill. “Curbside pickup seemed to grow overnight, and many of the existing online ordering apps did not have an easy solution for this transition. With UBMe and Star, online ordering has never been easier.”
After seeing success with UBMe and Star in their Killeen location, they installed the solution in their Austin location as well.
The Results
From the time that C&H installed the UBMe and Star solution, they nearly doubled their profits from online orders. C&H has printed hundreds of curbside pickup orders at their Killeen location. The system has been easy to use for both employees and customers, and the customers love being able to communicate directly with the restaurant through the UBMe app.
With UBMe’s 5% flat commission per order, the solution is maintainable and affordable for C&H Hawaiian Grill.
Take a closer look at C&H’s curbside success.
