About Ama Cafe
Ama Cafe opened in 2013 in Delhi's Majnu Ka Tila. It was started by Tenzin Thardoe, who wanted to bring the cozy feel of the Himalayan cafes he grew up with to the city. The all-day breakfast, fresh bakes and signature Himalayan-blend coffee were a quick hit with people, gaining a loyal following and queues on busy weekends. What began as a small one-floor cafe has now grown into a five-floor space and has also expanded to Dehradun. Even with its growth, Ama Cafe continues to serve simple, comforting food in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
The Problem
Manual operations, straining under the crowds
- Paper tickets slowed everything down – Staff had to carry paper order tickets between five floors, which made service slower.
- Orders sometimes got mixed up – Many orders were passed on verbally without being double-checked, leading to mistakes.
- No real-time view of the cafe – The team couldn't easily see how tables were moving, what was selling, or how busy the cafe was at any given time.
- Long waits during busy hours – Without a system to manage guests at peak times, waits grew and tables backed up.
- A menu that slowed guests down – Static, text-only menus made it hard for guests to select and slowed down guest decision making and service. Additionally, Ama Cafe's large menu on aggregator platforms meant guests had to scroll through long lists to find what they wanted. With so many items to browse, it made the ordering experience slower and less convenient.
- Managing crowds without compromising service – Ama Cafe is always busy, especially on weekends. Keeping orders moving quickly and service running smoothly was becoming more difficult as the crowds grew.
The Solution
From paper tickets to tablets, QR ordering, and real-time data
- No more paper tickets – With 10+ tablets across all floors and locations, staff can take orders right at the table. Orders are confirmed before they are sent to the kitchen, so there are fewer mistakes and no need to carry paper tickets up and down.
- Faster orders without slowing down service – Guests can scan a QR code, browse the menu, and order whenever they're ready. This reduces the load on the staff during busy hours. At the same time, Restroworks' AI-powered recommendations suggest relevant add-ons and favorites along the way, naturally nudging the average order value without any additional efforts.
- Digital menu that speed up ordering – Ama Cafe recently rolled out digital menu across the café, helping guests explore the menu more easily and make quicker decisions. Since the menu is connected to the POS, price changes, menu updates, and out-of-stock items are updated automatically in real time.
- A more organised menu across aggregators: – Through Restroworks Enterprise Integration and CX Management, Ama Cafe was able to organise and classify its large menu across aggregator platforms. Restroworks’ team also worked with the cafe on menu structure and provided training and guidance, making the menu easier for guests to browse and order from.
- Real-time performance updates from anywhere – The founder can check live sales and business performance through the mobile app. These insights helped Ama Cafe extend its closing time by 30 minutes after noticing more customers were coming in between 9 PM and 10 PM.
- Busy hours became easier to manage – Whether an order comes from a table, Zomato, or Swiggy, the team sees it in one system. This keeps them organized and service running smoothly, even when every floor is busy.
- More guests served in less time – Tablet and QR Ordering improved table turn around time and reports helped the team understand how long the tables were occupied, so they could seat more guests and reduce waiting times during peak hours.
The Outcome
Faster service, cleaner operations, smarter decisions
- Built to scale across outlets – With one connected system managing operations, Ama can run and expand its business without adding operational complexity, making it easier to manage every outlet consistently.
- 99.99% order accuracy – Every order is confirmed before it's sent to the kitchen, helping reduce errors, confusion and ensuring greater accuracy.
- Faster tables, higher order value – Table turnover analytics help the team seat more guests during busy hours, while QR Ordering encourages guests to explore more of the menu. Together, these improve table turnaround, increase average order value by 35%, and help the team make better decisions with real-time data.
- A better ordering experience – A more organised menu makes it easier for guests to find what they want without scrolling through long lists. This makes ordering simpler and creates a better experience across aggregator platforms.
- 30 minutes of extra trading time, from data – Sales insights helped Ama Cafe identify an opportunity to extend its closing time by 30 minutes, bringing in more guests and increasing late-evening sales.
- Decisions made on live data – Real-time reports from QR and tablet ordering give the owner a clear view of the business at all times, making it easier to take action when needed.
