Café Argentino, a family-owned authentic Argentinian steakhouse located in Brooklyn, NY is the place to be for great food and entertainment. From music to dancing, you never know what you’re going to see when dining at Café Argentino.

Christian Herrara, the owner, started working in restaurants as a dishwasher, worked his way up to busboy, server, bartender and acquired Café Argentino 4 years ago with his wife. Café Argentino has been open for 10 years and a loyal customer of Cervion Systems since it’s opening. After facing challenges that 2020 has thrown their way, Christian knew that in order to succeed, they need a way to save money, streamline operations, while enhancing the guest experience. The decision was made to upgrade from a windows-based point of sale system to an iPad point of sale system. 

Challenges Faced 

Café Argentino really started to face challenges when the Covid-19 pandemic started. A lockdown was mandated with heavy restrictions put on businesses that were allowed to stay open. Café Argentino made the tough decision to shut down for 3 months until outdoor dining was allowed in New York City. 

Once they reopened, they faced a new set of challenges; following the ever-evolving rules for restaurants in New York City. With heavy restrictions in place, Café Argentino was able to set up for outdoor dining to get through the summer and fall months. However, their point of sale system was stationary, located inside and far from their outdoor dining set up; which slowed service and did not allow for as many table turns throughout a shift.  

Another major challenge, not only for Café Argentino, but many other restaurants, is that outdoor dining did not allow for the same dining capacity prior to the lockdown. Even though restaurants were surviving, the limited seating and other restrictions such as curfews and when alcohol was allowed to be served made it hard to make the profits they needed to survive. 

Solutions for Success 

Once Café Argentino was ready to reopen, they upgraded their windows-based point of sale system to a Cervion Systems iPad point of sale solution. Cervion Systems was able to install the new system and train employees in one day and Café Argentino was immediately up and running. 

The staff learned the system quickly and love how fast the system can receive orders and how much time is being saved. As the owner, Christian can access the POS system from his phone or any other available device whether he is on or off-site, allowing him to view sales and employee reports anywhere, anytime. 

Additional technology POS features like Tableside Ordering and Pay at the Table were also implemented to serve guests quicker and keep them safe while dining out.  

Tableside Ordering allows servers to have a mobile point of sale device with them so orders are entered and sent to the kitchen / bar before the server even steps away from the table. Having a mobile iPad device at the table saves the server time, so they can focus on other priorities; while reducing guest wait time for food and drink. A win for everyone! 

Pay at the Table allows customers to be more in control of the way they pay. A Cervion Systems payment device is brought to the table and the server can quickly access the correct guest check for payment. Customers can use their credit card and get a printed receipt, without the server or credit card leaving the table. Guests feel more comfortable when their card doesn’t leave the table and no one else has to touch it, except themselves. 

Once Café Argentino implemented the necessary technology to streamline operations and enhance the guest experience, they focused on how to save money and keep the restaurant running. Over the past 3 years, Christian has noticed that an increasing amount of local restaurants have been implementing non-cash adjustment programs, which shares credit card processing expenses with their customers of up to 4%. Customers have been very understanding and has not complained about the new program. By implementing this non-cash adjustment program, Café Argentino saves about $30,000 - $35,000 yearly in credit card processing fees. 

With the successful upgrade of their point of sale system and implementation of Order at the Table, Pay at the Table and Non-cash Adjustment Program; Café Argentino has not only survived, but is succeeding by saving money, streamlining operations and enhancing the guest experience. 

About Cervion

We're a partner in the success of your business. Cervion Systems provides restaurant technology solutions that help your business increase profits and improve your success. Cervion offers a full range of technology products and support services, from point-of-sale systems to integrated merchant processing solutions. We allow you and your employees to concentrate on the day-to-day operations, while we handle your technology systems. Our award-winning staff has helped our customers succeed for nearly 20 years!  

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