Apicbase Helps Us do Business Efficiently and Successfully
Filip Van Hoeck
COO
Operation Size
10 units & delivery
1 central kitchen
Business type
Fast-casual restaurant
Modules
Menu Engineering
Procurement
Inventory Management
Sales Analytics
Production Planning
Central Kitchen
HACCP & Tasks
A Single Product Grew Into a Multi-Unit Operation
Turning a single product into a multi-unit restaurant operation is nothing less than impressive. Filip Van Hoeck, COO of Poule & Poulette (French for Hens & Chickens) did it with —you guessed it — delicious chicken.
They started out in a food truck and are set to open their 10th restaurant in a couple of months. Wait, there’s more. They have already conquered the delivery platforms and will soon start making waves in the retail space as well with their signature crispy chicken nuggets and the accompanying dip (which are both to die for).
The impact is massive
Apicbase centralises everything and automatically directs them to the right project, says COO, Filip Van Hoeck.
More Restaurants, Less Admin
Expanding from a single outlet to a foodservice brand with a multi-channel approach doesn’t come without its challenges.
‘At a certain point, the speed of the expansion and the development of new units becomes too complex to be managed by a single person and a spreadsheet’, Filip knows.
It’s crucial he says to have the right systems in place before you start growing. ‘If not, when things start picking up speed, you won’t be able to keep up. And that’s about the last thing you need as a growing restaurant enterprise.’
His advice for emerging brands is unmistakable: you have to be ready for growth before you actually start expanding the business. ‘You need to have solutions like Apicbase already in place’, Filip recommends.
Filip had three set objectives.
‘At a certain point, the speed of the expansion and the development of new units becomes too complex to be managed by a single person and a spreadsheet’, Filip knows.
It’s crucial he says to have the right systems in place before you start growing. ‘If not, when things start picking up speed, you won’t be able to keep up. And that’s about the last thing you need as a growing restaurant enterprise.’
His advice for emerging brands is unmistakable: you have to be ready for growth before you actually start expanding the business. ‘You need to have solutions like Apicbase already in place’, Filip recommends.
Filip had three set objectives.
Three Defined Objectives
Firstly, Poule & Poulette needed to be able to centralise F&B management. ‘We wanted to avoid uncertainty about the figures. Whether it’s finance, purchasing, inventory or sales, everybody has to have access to the same data.’
Secondly, automation is key. ‘Even though I enjoy working in spreadsheets when too many people start entering or manipulating data, errors become inevitable. Retracing mistakes in a stack of spreadsheets is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. You won’t find it and even if you do, you’ll waste hours of valuable time.’
Thirdly, streamlining internal orders to the central kitchen. ‘A big part of the production is centralised in a separate production kitchen. This means that communication between the units has to be flawless, otherwise production and logistics turn into a mess.’
If I had to do the same without Apicbase, I would have to hire two or three extra people.
Keeping Tabs on Margins, Production & Purchasing
When we asked founder & COO Filip Van Hoeck what the impact has been of using Apicbase, he broke it down into four main benefits:
- Central flow. ‘Products, pricing, methodologies—everything is immediately available to all restaurant managers. Not having to copy-paste in spreadsheets anymore is such a time-saver. We can keep tabs on margins, production and purchasing, and staff can quickly look things up and check on progress.’
- Efficiency. ‘Operations run so much smoother than before. The processes are super clear. Our restaurant managers know exactly what to do. And should they forget something, such as goods receipt, they are notified immediately. Before Apicbase, I had to try and retrace all purchases myself. That is in the past now.’
- Control. ‘Apicbase saves us a lot of time, allowing us to check and review operations more often. We used to do this much less, but for a growing company like ours, it is vital to do regular audits. By doing so, we can catch errors before they do any real damage and spot more opportunities to improve workflows.’
- Integrations. ‘Apicbase and Lightspeed POS systems are integrated, automating the dataflow between the front and back of house. I’m completely on top of the business. Sales automatically deplete the theoretical stock and HQ can immediately look up the numbers that help us make better decisions.’
The Apicbase customer success team is amazing
'They operate just like a hospitality company in that their aim is to put a smile on your face.'
Apicbase is the tool restaurants need to do business efficiently and successfully.
Modules in use
Poule & Poulette was able to centralise F&B management and get the necessary insights to improve operations using seven off-the-shelve modules in Apicbase.
