Toast POS Panel Discussion

Bill Lecos Owner and Founder

Toast POS recently hosted a panel discussion with two neighborhood chambers of commerce at Takito Street restaurant located 2422 N Lincoln Avenue in Chicago.

Panelists Jeff Lawler, Geja’s Café; Melanie Casati, Casati’s Modern Italian; Jon Young, Volo Wine Bar; and Mario Ponce, Takito Street Lincoln Park and Takito Brands discussed using technology to drive new sales and same time, and increasing engagement with their customers.

They also dove into changes that have occurred since Covid, including taking delivery in-house, using Otter to streamline all third-party orders, using free marketing tools thru TikTok and Open Table, using FinTech for expense reporting, trying to manage increases in labor costs, foodcosts, higher utilities, increases in property taxes and scarcity of new hires. Other best practices highlighted were, integrations with QuickBooks and using Google drive to share docs with their team. Other secret weapon ideas are using a service like Megaphone to electronically screen and direct guest calls, advantages of the various reservation platforms, using GeoFencing marketing to target people in your hyper-local, loyalty programs, gift cards, and SMS messages, all of which can help to engage guests.

Panelists noted that the value of good photography is often overlooked especially given the fact that this has become more affordable.

When asked about the future of restaurants panelists made the following predictions:

• Hyper personal dining experiences by knowing guests’ preferences and restrictions.

• Digital payments, handheld ordering.

• AI-driven apps to evaluate the last week of business and managing your image online.

• Figuring out how to operate a restaurant with fewer employees.

• Setting your business apart from competitors by providing a richer guest experience.

Ideas on attracting staff included:

• Fostering a culture that creates a certain “vibe” making people want to work there.

• Creating a brand that people want to work for.

• Providing an employee experience that gives them “quality of life.”

• Clarifying staff expectations, give them the resources needed to do their job then leave them alone to do it.

When asked what excites them for the future they said:

• New revenue stream opportunities.

• Trying to figure out how to scale and add locations.

• Figuring out which under-performing restaurants to sell.

• Reinventing their concepts to reenergize their business.

• Hoping to find new locations that provide high traffic along with large, local communities.

J&J Gaming Throughout the Years

Since their start with Live Video Gaming in Illinois, J&J Gaming, located in Effingham Illinois, continues to be a true partner in their commitment to their customers, employees, and communities. J&J Gaming started their business back in 1929, but expanded into the video gaming terminal industry when it went Live in 2012. J&J Gaming rooted their new venture with the purpose to lead the gaming industry forward with integrity and excellence, by being the best at what they do – day in and day out and a true industry leader.

In 2022, J&J Gaming celebrated 10 years of Live Video Gaming in Illinois. Their success over the years has helped their over 2,400 gaming locations in Illinois see maximum revenue for their bars, restaurants, veteran & fraternal organizations, and truck stop establishments. J&J provides a top-performing business model to all their partners and all the excitement and thrills of video gaming to your patrons.

J&J Gaming is and will continue to be a complete profit solution for small business to truck stop corporations across Illinois. With constant growth, development of new software, and innovative strategies J&J Gaming can ensure that their success from these last 10 years will continue to build in the years to come.

– You can find the J&J Gaming ad on page 13.

Chicago Cane Cooperative: The Only Rum Made in Chicago

Chicago Cane Cooperative (CCC) is the only Chicago-based spirits company focused on the creation of rum spirits. Additionally, CCC is one of the first worker-owned spirit producers in the country. This means their products are built from the Chicago community, for the Chicago community, connected to cultural history, and charged with creative innovation. Because CCC is a worker cooperative, as it continues to grow it will be majority-owned by workers. Being a worker coop means employees will have opportunities to be directly involved in the trajectory of the business through a democratic, one worker one vote process. This unique model for a spirits producer created a successful, community-oriented launch in February. Since then founder/ distiller Daniel Regueira Santos and co-founder Sean Ellis Hussey have been connecting with local businesses who are excited by the opportunity to sell the only locally produced rum in the Chicagoland area. To learn more visit chicagocane.com, or set up a free tasting by calling (312) 715-8532 or emailing sean@chicagocane.com.

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Bookshelf

Author: Joanne Fluke

ISBN-13: 978-1496736116

Just in time for summer!

Bestselling author and Queen of the Culinary Mystery–Joanne Fluke delivers the twenty-eighth mouthwatering Hannah Swensen Mystery! In this irresistible mystery from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Joanne Fluke, Hannah Swensen is at the center of a lively summer fest with fun for everyone in Lake Eden, Minnesota—including a cold-blooded murderer.

The Tri-County Summer Solstice Celebration has come to town, and even among local artisans, athletes, and marching bands, Hannah attracts fans of her own while serving lipsmacking pink lemonade desserts. But the mood sours when a body turns up, leading revelers to wonder if the festivities mark both the longest day of the year and the deadliest.

A retired professional MLB player has met a terrifying end—and, considering the rumors swirling about his past, the list of suspects could fill a small stadium. Among them could soon be Delores, Hannah’s mother, who publicly held a grunge against the victim after he infamously dunked her in the tank at a previous county fair.

Now, with her mother’s innocence on the line, a lifechanging announcement at The Cookie Jar, and a plethora of desserts to bake, Hannah can’t afford to strike out as she begins a dangerous investigation into the ruthless killer who’s truly in a league of their own . This book also features over a dozen cookie and dessert recipes from The Cookie Jar!

We are so excited to share that our friends Kevin Boehm and Donnie Madia are bringing back Welcome Chicago!

This year's event will be hosted on Monday, June 26th at the Harris Theater in Millennium Park.

Tickets on sale at: theWelcomeConference.com

This years show includes Chefs Katie Button & Jason Hammel, “The Bear” creator Chris Storer, Actress and Director Tasha Smith, Political Advisor and Chef Sam Kass, Writer/Editor Dana Cowin, Restaurateur Caroline Styne, and YMCA Chicago’s CEO Dorri McWhorter.

The show will be co-hosted by Chicago legends Alpana Singh and Erick Williams!