planet_hollywood

EPOS SOLUTIONS

Case Studies

Our client base is international and the case studies below illustrate the depth of experience we have in providing clients with a total hospitality solution.

What the Customers Say

"Aloha handles all our transactions, including client data and customer loyalty schemes, and is also linked with the table reservation system." - Roger Payne, founder of
Shaka Zulu, London.
"I'm delighted that we have bought a cash management system that is also a revenue generator, with a potential income stream of £25,000 a year." - Patrick Morris, Head of Events Gloucester Rugby.
"Aloha is the way forward in reducing paperwork and the guiding force behind our expansion plans." - Andrew Green, Operations Director, Euphorium Bakery, London.

Global Restaurant Chain, Planet Hollywood, Seats Over 2,000 Guests a Day Using the Aloha EPOS Solution

Aloha Stars at Planet Hollywood
For a real showbusiness experience, nothing beats Planet Hollywood, the Hollywood-themed restaurant/café chain started in New York in 1991 by movie stars including Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone. The chain now has dozens of restaurants around the world.

The London restaurant, which opened near Piccadilly Circus in the mid 1990s, is one of the largest and most popular, with the restaurant seating up to 430 people. Guests can choose from a menu developed by celebrity chef Marco Pierre White, and the busy bar serves up drinks like ‘Terminator’ and ‘Die Hard Daiquiris’.

According to General Manager Alex Garland, the restaurant had previously used a MICROS system but found it outdated. "It was not fast enough," he says. "The credit card authorisation was very slow and we couldn’t use it to order desserts and appetisers. There was no compatibility with the kitchen and we couldn’t switch from our small bar terminals to the main terminal."

As Alex already knew of Aloha EPOS, he tried it out and was immediately impressed. "It’s operationally excellent and easy to use," he says. "We needed a system that could handle our high-volume requirements, as we do up to 2,000 covers every day." The system was installed by NFS Hospitality in the bar and restaurant in mid 2004.

"The installation was very smooth and NFS gave us very good training," Alex recalls. "We have ten terminals in Planet Hollywood and all the staff find it reliable and user-friendly. The system maintains its speed whatever the traffic."

Some of Aloha’s many benefits include fast and easy tab opening without changing screens, and preauthorisation of credit cards. "I like the fact that in the bar we can open a tab and call it after the guest, such as ‘Joe’s tab‘," Alex notes.

All food and beverage orders are automatically put through to the kitchen and the Aloha system interfaces with Planet Hollywood’s accounting system. This makes business processes like stock control much more efficient while providing a range of useful information, Alex explains, adding, "The reporting is very good, and our weekly stock take is much easier with Aloha. You can see who’s selling which wines, beers, champagnes, or who is selling the most Absolut or Smirnoff, for example."

Alex particularly likes using the Aloha staff clock-in and has the hours worked printed out for individuals as well as management. "This is a big advantage in our case as we have different hourly rates for part-time bartenders and administrative staff," he says. "So this takes the hassle out of hourly work. We give staff a five-minute window to clock in early or late and there are no arguments as you just look at the printout." Food orders are also easier. "You just type in any specifications like ‘no cheese on the nachos’."

Looking ahead, Alex will be assessing the way that Aloha EPOS has helped streamline business processes at Planet Hollywood, and will be exploring new ways to use Aloha functionality to speed service and reduce costs.