Seattle pastry shop simplifies operations recipe using ShopKeep
The Confectional, a small Seattle-based pastry operation that specializes in cheesecakes, used old-fashioned cash registers for the first few years of its existence. Its decision to expand into a commissary near the city's famous Space Needle made it rethink that decision: the space was simply too small. What's more, the management company at the site required a much more detailed accounting of point-of-sale receipts than the older technology could offer.
That's when the company opted to invest in an Apple iPad point-of-sale (POS) solution developed by ShopKeep, which was founded by a small-business owner from Brooklyn who was fed up with his options. The Confectional's co-owner Destiny Sund said the technology's small form factor, detailed reporting capabilities (it can now tell which flavors do the best, seasonally or otherwise) and proactive customer service were all factors in her decision to choose this particular platform. ShopKeep actually didn't show up very high on her Google searches; she was convinced after watching a video tutorial that the company published on YouTube.
"They made us feel so comfortable in our initial calls, that I knew we would feel comfortable getting up and running," Sund said.
The fact that the technology worked with the company's existing credit-card processor, Gravity Payments, was another factor in ShopKeep's favor. Another big plus was the system's integrated time clock, which saves time in calculating payroll, and a mobile application that allows Sund and other managers to monitor all the locations (including the kiosks at the Space Needle, as well as its original location in the city's Pike Place Market).
The technology, which has been in place about a year, has helped The Confectional change up its product mix for specific locations. For example, customers tend to buy smaller, individual four-packs of cakes in the newer location, while the original location at Pike Place tends to sell larger items. It has also helped keep track of when things sell, for staffing and production purposes.
"I am far more tuned into the business," Sund said.
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