Tadao’s Project: Improving Operations and Profitability
The project for Tadao (a Hawaiian poké bowl restaurant chain) focused on improving restaurant operational efficiency and profitability. Initially, the project covered the implementation of an order management tool (Deliverect) and a full food cost & pricing optimization. But progressively evolving in the project, we noticed Tadao could also strongly benefit from ingredient portioning to control portions and food cost, and recipe standardization to prepare for expansion.
Step 1: Faster Order Processing with Deliverect
Tadao is a popular poké bar with strong demand both online and in-store. The staff serves walk-in customers but also handles orders from delivery platforms like UberEats. During rush hours, juggling both can be overwhelming. By introducing Deliverect, we simplified and sped up the process. The system:
standardized ticket formats. By implementing Deliverect between the cash register and delivery platforms (like Uber Eats), all delivery orders now go directly through the cash register, making preparation tickets uniform across every channel. Meaning the kitchen staff can read them more easily and work more efficiently.
sped up order taking & processing. Making tickets easier to read and centralizing them into one source sped up order taking and processing for both in-store and online customers as the service staff doesn’t need to manually re-enter each order in the cash register.
gave managers an overview of all sales. Having all orders flow through the cash register gave Tadao a quicker and clearer overview of daily sales, instead of data being scattered across 5+ different platforms. With one single entry point, it also became easier to analyze customer behavior — which dishes and drinks they prefer, which promotions they use, and how much they spend across all channels.
→The result: less stress for the staff, fewer mistakes, smoother service for customers and better analytical overview of the restaurants.
Step 2: Optimized Menu Pricing and Supply Chain
As a second mission in this project, the goal was to reset the prices. As the restaurant had been open for a few years, it was not about recalculating the optimal price point, but setting standards for the complete scope:
we started by revisiting the menu: first, resetting the standards in the kitchen and making sure recipes were similar across locations
we renegotiated supplier contracts and, when necessary, switched to alternative products. Each change was tested for quality and customer perception before implementation to ensure quality remained high.
We recalculated the food cost taking into account updated supplier costs and new ingredients
We identified our menu ‘winners’ and ‘losers’. Knowing which items have strong margins helped us decide what dishes to promote in new campaigns
We identified items for outsourcing. In countries where labour costs is high, this HR cost can be significant and should not be overlooked when deciding whether a product is worth making in-house or outsourced. This last step is unusual in restaurants but was key here, since many recipes were handmade.
We compared competitor’s pricing to ensure we remained competitive on the market, in the neighbourhood and online
Based on all the knowledge we had collected, we reevaluated the prices and increased and decreased some prices
Step 3: Portion Control Tools
We equipped the restaurants with calibrated spoons and portioning tools for the service staff. These tools are essential to control food costs while keeping service quick and consistent. Portioning also ensures every guest receives the right serving size: controlling the food cost and meeting customer expectations every time.
Step 4: Supporting the Team Through Change
New recipes and tools can be hard to adopt. So evidently, my role was also to:
communicate the changes & accompany the staff through the change
collect feedback & adapt changes according to staff remarks
make sure the new way of working made sense in practice, and was not draining the service
follow up after implementation to ensure everything worked smoothly
The Results
smoother operations
better cost control
a team that was onboard and understood the why behind the changes
a seamless experience across locations
→ If you’re running a restaurant and facing similar challenges, the right operational changes can make a big difference ! Let’s explore how we can make it work for you.