QSR January 2023

S P ON S O R E D B Y B O T R I S T A

ThisAutomatedBeverage ProgramHelpsRestaurants RegainLostBeverageSales

From order to pour, any employee can create specialty beverages in 20 seconds. BY PEGGY CAROUTHERS

Restaurantsoftenfocus the bulk of their culinary efforts on creatingdistinctive food selections. Yetwhilemanyoperators know beverages offer better margins than food products, unique house made beverages can also provide an easy way to increase menu diversity and guest satisfaction, as well as to drive sales. “Craft beverages allow operators to provide elevated offerings to their guests to improve the experience, as well as charge a pre mium,” says SeanHsu, CEOof Botrista. “Andwith decreasing soda sales, brands can provide additional options to guests. Drinks can also be an asset for off-premise occasions, as operators can increase check size by offering guests something they can’t find at home.” Additionally, because fountaindrink sales have slowed in recent

years, specialty beverages that feature functional or healthy ingre dients can offer restaurants a chance to recapture those lost add on sales. Ike Shehadeh, owner of Ike’s Love and Sand-wiches, is aBotrista customer. “The drinks we created specifically for Ike’s are such a great fit for us and it adds to the overall experience of Ike’s,” Shehadeh says. “We’ve seen that people are coming in just to get the beverages—we’re adding extra visits.” Despite these benefits, some operators have been reluctant to roll out specialty programs, because they have traditionally been difficult to manage in-house. Not only do they require prep, a bar, and labor to execute, but keeping staff up-to-date on LTOs and ensuring eachbeverage is consistent fromshift to shift canbe chal lenging. However, now, withBotrista’s automated drink dispenser technology, any restaurant can offer premiumbeverage upgrades without increasing operational complexity. “Botrista is your beverage partner—we go beyond offering brands the equipment,” Hsu says. “We’re here to support restau rants. With the high quality of our craft beverages, operators can chargemore for these premiumoptions versus sodas and other bev erage options, leading to larger check size and larger penny profit for each transaction.” Though Hsu notes that “robotics” and “automation” can sound intimidating, Botrista’s DrinkBot makes crafting specialty bever ages—and earning those add-on sales—easier than ever. “Our mission is to make craft beverages more accessible and affordable by reducing or removing all of those obstacles,” Hsu says. “The Botrista DrinkBot’s patented technology allows opera tors to offer a mini-cafe in just 5 square feet. Ingredients are pre packaged in a bag-in-box (bib) format and connect to theDrinkBot, which automates the measuring, dispensing, and mixing of ingre dients to deliver freshly crafted beverages.” Botrista’s flexible BiB format allows restaurants to easily offer choices for their beverage menus, including beverages such as infused iced teas, flavored lemonades, iced coffees, sparkling bev erages, andmore. “I love that our staff doesn’t need to remember how tomake the drinks—all they have to do is push a button,” says Shehadeh. “It's so simple.” RET

To learn how you can simplify your specialty beverage program and boost sales, visit botrista.io .

BOTRISTA

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JANUARY 2023 | RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY

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