Have you ever felt you are meant for something greater or the universe has something better in store for you?
We’ve all had such feelings once or twice in our lives.
That was exactly how Elizabeth Choto felt when she started her career.
Elizabeth Choto is the founder of Grazedat Catering, one of the fastest-growing catering businesses in New Orleans.
Before starting a catering business, she had worked in education, from teaching to administration.
But she wanted something more…
Something different.
So when the opportunity to start a catering business presented itself, she couldn’t resist.
And Grazedat Catering was born.
The Challenge
Time-consuming manual ordering process
It’s no secret the catering business is profitable and rewarding especially for people who love to cook.
However, it requires mental strength to sustain the business because it can be very demanding.
From fulfilling orders to dealing with logistics and delivery, there are many moving parts to oversee.
And more importantly, you have to meet your customers’ demands at all times to keep them happy.
Elizabeth found herself in all those situations when she started Grazedat Catering.
With so much on her plate, she still had to take orders manually and answer her customers’ questions on the phone.
This process was time-consuming.
In her words:
“I’d take orders manually and input those into a spreadsheet. I even did the whole Google Forms bit, but even that required me to text back and forth with my customers or spend more time on the phone than I really needed to answer the same questions each time.”
What’s more, Elizabeth operates in a highly competitive market.
The longer it takes to fulfill orders, the more customers she loses to her competitors.
And customers she did lose:
“I’ve turned down some really large contracts over the last few months because it was overwhelming to try to organize things for my operation.”
Keen on growing her catering business, Elizabeth realized that to increase operations and generate more sales, she needed a system that saves time, gives her more control, and helps organize her business.
The Solution
A robust automated catering ordering system
What’s the one thing customers do before placing an order?
They want to know what’s available on the menu.
But always calling to find out what’s on the menu or whether a particular dish is available isn’t convenient for both parties.
This is something Elizabeth was desperate to avoid.
She wanted a platform that allowed her customers to see what’s on the menu or when a specific dish is available without having to call.
So she began exploring online catering ordering systems.
Fortunately, she saw an ad on Instagram about HoneyCart and decided to find out more.
After going through how it works, she wasted no time signing up.
Here’s why:
“I liked the idea of not having to take orders by hand but didn’t really want “restaurant” type software because of the unique nature of my business.”
Unlike other existing systems, HoneyCart gives you 100% control over your ordering policies without sacrificing commissions to third-party sites.
And with support from the HoneyCart team, she figured out how to customize the platform to her taste.
“I appreciate the support that the team at HoneyCart has provided.
HoneyCart made it super easy for me to build an online menu that was easy for customers to navigate and customize their orders.
It’s been easier than I thought to have to create a front-end experience for my customers that is super easy to use.”
Another feature of Honeycart Elizabeth found useful is the report feature:
“The reports feature makes it so easy for me to see what’s needed on the backend in terms of supplies and orders to be made, and also allows me to print delivery information for my drivers.”
She also has the option of rewarding her customers using Honeycart’s rewards program.
This allows them to earn points on every purchase.
And once they’ve accumulated enough points, they can use it to purchase more offerings on her menu as she mentioned on her Instagram page.
The Result
HoneyCart Reduced Grazedat Catering processing orders by 80%
Since adopting HoneyCart, Elizabeth has noticed a reduction in the back and forth between her and her customers.
This has saved her more time and increased productivity:
“The time I spent processing orders has been cut by over 80% and it’s been such a relief and help to have more time on my hands.”
Also, by setting up her online menu, her customers now see what’s on the menu without calling.
“They absolutely love it! They can book at any time, they don’t have to call me during specific hours, and the process of booking is so very easy.”
And this led to faster order fulfillment and more sales:
“My sales have seen a boost for sure because, with all that extra time, I’m able to work more on marketing and fulfilling more orders than before.”
There’s no doubt customers value businesses that ensure they get a pleasant experience.
This is something Grazedat Catering has benefited from since it started using HoneyCart to manage and process orders.
“Using HoneyCart has definitely elevated my game in that my customers are taking my business much more seriously.”
The best part?
She has complete access to all these features and more without sacrificing commissions to third-party sites.
In other words, every dollar that comes into the business is hers.
“I would recommend HoneyCart wholeheartedly to any budding entrepreneur.”
Who wouldn’t?
Now, you too can save time, streamline your catering processes to boost productivity and increase sales.
All without sacrificing commissions to third-party sites!
These are possible with catering order automation software like HoneyCart.
Do you want to see how HoneyCart can help transform your catering business as it did for Elizabeth of Grazedat Catering?