3rd & Ferry Market
Tabit Transforms Operations, but Keeps the Heart and Soul of a Casual Fine-Dining Restaurant
- Mike Pichetto, 3rd & Ferry Owner
Problems
- 3rd and Ferry’s 2-story mezzanine layout has great eye appeal but creates logistical issues for the serving staff.
- The distance resulted in long table turns, and orders took over 15 minutes to be placed into the POS system after the server left the table.
- Servers would stockpile orders, leading to kitchen overloads, long ticket times, and unhappy guests.
- The legacy POS in place was difficult to use and outdated.
- The gift card system couldn’t integrate with the POS, leading to manual work that took staff up to 5 days to issue cards during the holiday season.
Solutions Implemented
- Mobility gave servers the ability to fire orders from the tableside.
- TabitChef’s on-the-go reporting.
- Integrated online orders directly with the kitchen using TabitOrder.
- Moved to TabitGiftcards to streamline issuing and tracking gift cards.
Results
- Tabit’s mobile POS system resulted in an enhanced dining experience with tangible business benefits:
- Increased word of mouth advertising with a lift in reservations
- 18% increase in net sales Y-O-Y
- Table turn speed is now 10-20% faster
- Drinks arrive at the table 10% faster, increasing beverages per person from 1 to 1.5
- Ticket efficiency improved leading to more 3-course meal orders
- PPA increased by at least $10/shift
- Gift card sales increased 50% Y-O-Y in 2021, and then an additional 25% Y-O-Y in 2022, with $72,000 in sales during a 2-day promo.
- Reduced managerial back-end work by 50%
About
3rd & Ferry Market
When Mike and Rebecca Pichetto opened 3rd & Ferry Fish Market in Easton, PA, in 2013, it quickly became a gathering place. On any given evening, hundreds of regulars and guests celebrating special occasions visit the restaurant in a renovated furniture company building about an hour and a half from Manhattan to enjoy the raw bar and seafood dishes like lobster, king crab legs, paella, lobster rolls, and specialty dishes with a Honduran flair.
3rd & Ferry has a first-floor dining area, a “mezzanine” level, a lower level private dining room and patio and streetside tables. It features an open kitchen and a 30-seat bar that runs nearly the entire length of the restaurant and serves its own specialty cocktails and infusions.
The building’s unique architecture, however, created challenges for the staff.
The Problem
“We were falling behind, not because of food or service, but because of speed.”
Mike Pichetto commented, “Our primary pain point was service staff stockpiling orders and entering them in the the point of sale (POS) system in large blocks. This led to overloads in the kitchen, which led to longer ticket times and, ultimately, unhappy guests.” “If we were going to move into the future of dining, something had to give,” said Danya Kinsman, general manager. “We were falling behind, not because of food or service, but because of speed.”
Additionally, Kinsman said the restaurant’s legacy POS system was difficult for her to use. “The back end was confusing. Putting buttons in was a hassle, and it was hard to find the things I needed,” she said.
The restaurant also needed a better way to manage its gift card business. 3rd & Ferry runs a successful gift card promotion from Black Friday through Christmas Eve each year. However, its legacy gift card system wasn’t integrated with its restaurant system, so Kinsman would receive notifications via email, and then she’d create cards manually and mail them. It was labor-intensive, particularly since the restaurant’s highly popular 48-hour Black Friday flash sale could result in more than 500 gift card sales. “With the old system, it would take five of us five full days to get cards out by Christmas,” she said.
A Solution for Transforming Restaurant Operations
Kinsman began researching restaurant POS systems with features that could help the business overcome its challenges, but nothing seemed to suit 3rd & Ferry’s operation. The restaurant wanted to keep the polish of fine dining, allowing servers to use their knowledge and skill to create truly memorable experiences as well as operate more efficiently.
Mike Pichetto attended a Tabit release party hosted by Gotham Hospitality Solutions, an authorized Tabit reseller, and discovered the solution that would work for his business. Gotham had built a good relationship with the restaurant, understood its needs, and, as a trusted business advisor, was able to show Pichetto how Tabit would address 3rd & Ferry’s challenges and pain points.
As a result, the restaurant decided to move forward with Tabit and implemented the solution in October 2021, choosing four modules:
1. TabitPad
2. TabitChef
3. TabitOrder
4. TabitGiftCard
“In the first three months alone of using Tabit, 3rd & Ferry saw an 18% increase in sales year over year.”
The Benefits of the Right Tools for the Job
Since implementing Tabit, 3rd & Ferry has seen measurable returns on its investment. “With the more steady stream of orders that are spaced out properly, we have decreased our ticket times substantially and reduced stress for servers and the kitchen,” Pichetto says. “And our customers are able to enjoy a heightened dining experience where the products they order are delivered in a timelier fashion.”
He says enhancing dining experiences has also led to more positive word-of-mouth advertising. “This has directly increased our reservation counts and it is evident in our net sales numbers month to month,” Pichetto explains. In the first three months alone of using Tabit, 3rd & Ferry saw an 18% increase in sales year over year.
“It’s skyrocketed their sales and tips,” …Servers are walking less, they have more energy on the floor and do their jobs more comfortably.”
Additionally, table turns are now 10-20% faster, allowing the restaurant to accommodate more walk-in business, increasing sales totals. Also, drink service is at least 10 minutes faster, and as a result, drink orders have increased from 1 per customer to 1.5. Raw bar orders have also increased. “It’s easy to place orders at the table, and the ticket goes through before guests order appetizers and entrees. Now there’s time for a three-course meal,” Kinsman explains.
Per person average (PPA) has also increased by at least $10 per shift with Tabit due to higher drink and raw bar orders along with the system reminding servers to upsell. “Tabit prompts them to upsell, and now they’re in the habit,” Kinsman comments. She adds that those sales are profit-makers, not merely revenue-makers.
“It’s transformed our business.”
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