My Cookie Dough, Multi-Site Operator
“We identified that we needed three core systems in the business quickly. Specifically, they were a new EPOS system, a new staffing and rota system; and a new stock management system. The absolute joy of Tabology is that it's all of those things under one roof, for an incredible price.” Ian James, Operations Director.
Managing growth in hospitality and retail is one of the key challenges for any business. For expanding Quick Service Restaurant brand My Cookie Dough, support from Tabology has enabled the business to adapt to changes in the market as needed, as well as to quickly refocus in the face of the challenge of the Covid lockdown.
My Cookie Dough is a kiosk-based food concept, offering its exclusive soft cookie dough recipe, topped with ice cream, along with premium shakes. The core menu is supplemented by seasonal specials for occasions such as Valentine’s Day and Christmas.
“We only operate in the biggest and best malls in the world,” says Ian James. There are currently eleven company owned outlets in the UK, along with a couple of extra franchised stores, as well as seven stores outside the UK, “which will double before the year’s out”.
Ian joined the business with the aim of driving its expansion programme. “The existing operation was still very paper based, relying on spreadsheets and timesheets, with manual stock takes,” he says.
“We identified that we needed three core systems in the business quickly. Specifically, they were a new
EPOS system; a new staffing and rota system; and a new stock management system. The absolute joy of Tabology is that it’s all of those things under one roof, for an incredible price.”
Crucially, as My Cookie Dough adds new stores, it can simply scale up, and replicate the existing system for the new store. Reporting is also integral to the system, “which Tabology built for us from scratch.” With different parts of the business, such as head office, operations, unit managers and franchisees, needing different levels of information, the system generates bespoke automated reports on metrics such as sales across all sites or by individual site, gross profit, costs, labour and stock.
“There are hundreds of different reports available to us within the system,” says Ian. “The key point is that Tabology has tailored it to report on our specific KPIs.” With more overseas stores planned, aspects such as translations of text, and country-specific tax reporting, are also being added by Tabology.
Integrating staffing into the system has also been an important benefit. “Previously, staffing looked like a separate system, with a completely separate set of headaches and costs. With Tabology, we can manage staff costs and rotas through the EPOS. There’s the capability for managers to run their unit from one log in, with one point of contact.”
The implementation of Covid restrictions from March 2020 required My Cookie Dough to adapt quickly to keep staff and customers safe. “We needed a solution immediately, and Tabology had that off the shelf. Within 24 hours we had a click and collect offer, which was a key part of our Covid risk assessment for operating within shopping centres.
“It processes payments, and links to our EPOS system, and we’ve built quite a promising e-commerce business. We’ve invested in production, and e-commerce is very much part of the plan moving forward. Crucially, the criteria have changed multiple times over the past year, and will change again, because the retail landscape has changed. It only needs an email or phone call to Tabology for us to make those changes.”
Ian sums up: “My background is in operations and new openings, and I’ve worked with many systems and EPOS providers. What is refreshing about Tabology is that they want to help, They are at the end of the phone to build bespoke solutions, change things, and adapt their system to our changing requirements. I couldn’t be a bigger champion of Tabology.”
To find out more about our Cafe & QSR EPOS, staff scheduling or our order and pay solutions, and how they could work in your venue, get in touch.
