Paytronix Helps Restaurant Hum With Takeout, Delivery During Pandemic

Restaurant loyalty firm Paytronix was key in helping Zukku Sushi adapt to using a ghost kitchen and keep its three locations humming with takeout and delivery orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, the company said in a blog post on Tuesday (April 7).

When the fast-spreading coronavirus forced restaurants to close seating areas, Zukku Sushi was in a bind because its three locations in Florida and North Carolina were based in food halls. Zukku partner Ferdian Jap came up with a plan to coordinate with another restaurant whose kitchen was underutilized and created a temporary ghost kitchen. Because all locations used Paytronix, running everything out of the ghost kitchen was seamless.

“We’ve used Open Dining for a while now,” Jap said, “so we have a good list of customers that we can market to using the email system. Even though we’re in a completely different location, our customers are still ordering from us and we’re reaching out to them to come support us.”

Zukku tapped its database of customers and put instructions on its website so people would know where to go and what was being offered during the pandemic. Although Jap said the chefs had to adjust to working in a strange kitchen with other cooks, the Paytronix Order & Delivery platform made the transition easier.

Jap said that one of the reasons Zukku picked Paytronix as its online ordering platform was because of its integration with the Focus POS system.

“It’s very intuitive,” he said. “Having the ticket print out like it’s a regular ticket on the line makes it as seamless as possible.”

Zukku’s Charlotte, North Carolina restaurant was able to stay in its own kitchen and has been handling online orders for six months. Zuku’s third location in Lakeland, Florida just opened in January and was able to quickly launch online ordering. Paytronix helped it roll out in just two days.

“It was the fastest launch I’ve ever experienced,” Jap said. “The feedback system is really helpful because we know what we’re doing right or wrong, and we read every single one of [the comments]. We talk to [the customers] and see how we can make it right, and that has been really successful as well.”

Paytronix is headquartered in Newton, Massachusetts and was founded in 2001 by Andrew Robbins and Matt d’Arbeloff.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Paytronix has pointed out the benefits of gift cards for restaurants. Gift cards are essentially interest-free loans from a consumer, the company said, and they’re a good way to get someone to return when a restaurant reopens.