Interview

Secrets To Restaurant Success With Robert Greller of Peter Pane

“Tech reduces the burden of daily work, giving our staff more time to do what they love most.” Robert James Greller is Head of Digital at Peter Pane Burgergrill & Bar, a much-loved hamburger restaurant with over 50 locations in Germany.

And he’s a badass at his job.

During covid, Robert managed to set up a basic online sales channel in a matter of days. They were fully operational the second the lockdowns hit.

Today, the off-premise channel is a robust revenue generator. And Robert not only takes on IT duties but also e-commerce and marketing. 🏋️

Robert’s vision of digital transformation is: it should create a comfortable work environment for our teams.

2 events prove his vision is spot-on:

1️⃣ The first: a tour of the Peter Pane restaurants.

The insight: “so many things need to work together to create a great atmosphere – temperature, music, scent dispensers. Operators don’t always have time because they are serving customers.” Robert installed sensors and monitoring tools, creating less worry for the employees.

2️⃣ The second: a question he asked their best performing operator: “What do you do to achieve great results week after week.”

The answer was surprisingly simple: “I do exactly what the concept guidelines say I should do.”

A powerful statement and proof that the Peter Pane concept is solid as a rock.

Considering these two events: Robert says: “We are building towards a data-driven organisation with a centralised approach to running our restaurants.”

3 factors impact progress:

🏎️ Accelerator: “Integrations are key. The more we can integrate systems, the more we empower our employees.”

🫡 Adoption: “UX is essential. We should only build things that are so easy to use; anyone can do it.”

🥊 Challenges: “The mindsets of vendors and operators differ at times. I see this becoming a problem in the future.”

“My strategy is to implement an API-driven IT architecture so that we can use our data in the best way possible for us. Some vendors, on the other hand, want to build everything themselves and not integrate.

They want to build the iPhone AND all the apps, so to speak. That makes things extremely complicated.”

Geert Merckaert

Geert Merckaert is the Content and Research Director at Apicbase and the producer of The Food Service Growth Show. He specialises in operational excellence, sustainability, and digital transformation in the restaurant and catering industry. Geert has a diverse background in content marketing, writing, and research, with previous roles in corporate finance at Bank van Breda, food marketing at VLAM, and the trade association Bakkers Vlaanderen. He holds degrees in Communications and Journalism from Plantijnhogeschool, as well as Art History from the Kunsthistorisch Instituut. During his studies, Geert spent nine years working weekends as a restaurant chef. He is dedicated to helping foodservice companies achieve sustainable growth through engaging and insightful content.

Recent Posts

Top Strategies for Effective Restaurant Menu Management

Did you know a poorly managed menu could cost you thousands in wasted food and…

2 months ago

Buy or Build Software? How Leading CIOs Make The Right Call For Their Restaurants

As your company grows and market demands evolve, your current systems may struggle to keep…

2 months ago

Streamline Scope 3 Carbon Emissions Reporting In Foodservice Operations and Stay Compliant With CSRD 

The new CSRD regulations require large food service companies to report on Scope 3 emissions,…

3 months ago

Why Multi-Site Restaurants Need a Central Production Kitchen

Multi-unit restaurant operators continually work to reduce overhead costs, minimise food waste, and uphold brand…

3 months ago

Secrets to Restaurant Success with Isak Fagerholm, COO at Friends & Brgrs, Finland

Ever wonder what it takes to scale a small family-owned restaurant into a fast-growing chain—without…

3 months ago

How to Calculate Food Cost Percentage (Formula & Tips)

Next to labour costs and rent, food costs are the highest expense for every restaurant.…

3 months ago