Clarity Hospitality
Award winning pub upgrades to ClearView: The Crooked Billet
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Gastro pub The Crooked Billet retains the look and feel of a traditional village inn. The pub has won a string of accolades in recent years, and the owners were keen to maintain and build on this success by updating their IT system. Having used Clarity's original Smartpad solution for many years, they evaluated a series of alternatives before selecting the new Clarity ClearView system for its ease of use, good looks and affordability.
Client
The Crooked Billet near Milton Keynes is a nationally recognised gastro pub that retains the look and feel of a traditional village inn. With a history dating back to 1665, the pub has been run by the current owners since 2000, winning a loyal clientele of food and wine lovers as well as numerous prestigious awards. Plaudits include The Good Pub Guide's Wine Pub of the Year award, listing by The Independent Guide as one of the top 50 pubs in the UK, and Harpers & Queen Sommelier of the Year.
Brief
Longtime users of Clarity's legacy Smartpad POS system, The Crooked Billet's owners recognised that their business would benefit from a new generation IT system. They also held ambitions to expand their pub management portfolio, and knew that their choice of IT solution would be critical to the success of any new venture.
In late 2007 landlords John and Emma Gilchrist assessed a number of competitive offerings, alongside ClearView - Clarity's new and affordable 'out of the box' hospitality IT system. Their priorities included ease of use, straightforward reporting functionality, and capabilities to aid efficient business management. As well as finding a system they could implement quickly with minimum disruption to day-to-day business, they also wanted the flexibility to manage multiple pubs using central functionality, in case they should acquire additional sites in the future.
As with any business, gaining the best value and maximising returns were clearly vital factors. System aesthetics were also important to complement The Crooked Billet's newly modernised interior.
Solution
The Crooked Billet opted to upgrade to Clarity ClearView for several reasons. In essence, it did everything the pub needed it to, and yet was incredibly simple to use - in stark contrast to some of the other systems John and Emma considered. Frontline staff benefit from a great toolset that helps them serve customers efficiently, while the business as a whole can minimise costs and boost its bottom line.
Clarity provided everything necessary to get ClearView up and running: the software itself, hardware including two independent IBM POS touchscreens, back office equipment, network infrastructure, training and all the support necessary to ensure a successful implementation. Frontline staff benefited immediately from a great toolset that helps them serve customers efficiently, while the business as a whole has been able to minimise costs and boost its bottom line from day one.
John Gilchrist comments,
We wanted a modern looking system, and the aesthetics of ClearView just fitted. It's also really quick and easy to use, which is vital in a business that employs a lot of young staff. When it turned-up we just plugged it in and it was ready to go!
ClearView also puts the owners in a strong position when the time comes to expand to additional sites, with Clarity's renowned central management functionality. This gives the flexibility to manage centrally while allocating the appropriate level of autonomy to different sites and individuals.
Outcomes
ClearView was installed and being used to run business at The Crooked Billet in a matter of weeks. As soon as the order was confirmed, the pub supplied all its key management information including menus, products, stock details and prices, and Clarity pre-loaded everything on to the system, as well as providing training for managers and staff. Such is the ease of use of ClearView that the pub now trains-up new staff members in minutes.
Financially, it's improved our business straight away,
enthuses John Gilchrist. John finds the fully itemised Gross Profit reports an invaluable tool, saying,
It's really quick for us to identify any dish or drink item where there's a problem - and we can take action fast, adjusting pricing or making other changes instantly.
To date, John's found ClearView, "Very reliable." It also gives him peace of mind to know that the tills operate independently, so that all information is retained and protected in the event of any unforeseen problems.
Clarity's Hospitality division MD, Steve Haydon comments,
Clarity's aim with ClearView was to create a system that was simple to use, smart and affordable. The feedback we have had from The Crooked Billet and others is very positive.
