It is so many things to so many people. It can be judged on so many different spectrums: it ranges from the purely functional to the creatively artful, from the bland to the tasty, from the fast to the slow, from the corporate-driven cash grab to the soul-driven personal project.
These differences are based on many different factors: their geography, the economy they work within, the needs of the market – all of these elements impact the type of restaurant that you find. But perhaps one factor influences them more than any other: passion.
It is this pursuit of passion that most attracts to us to creating EPOS products for the restaurant market, because it mirrors our own mentality. Undoubtedly, our products are shaped by markets, by geographies and by market needs – and they are developed on the back of what technology and creativity will allow. But what sets RCH cash desks apart from other offerings in the market is the constant underlying drive of our passion – for perfection, for innovation, for creating something that provides meaningful, measurable benefit to restaurateurs. So that they too can spend more time focusing on their true passion: food.
This idea of sharing passion and creative vision together inspired us in one of our most recent partnerships, with JRE Italy. JRE (Jeunes Restaurateurs D’Europe) is one of the most prestigious culinary organisations in the world, and brings together young Restaurateurs and Chefs who share their talent and passion for food with likeminded people. Founded in 1974 in France, JRE is now active in 16 countries with 350 affiliated restaurants and is looking to expand on a global scale. With over 180 Michelin stars and 4,000 Gault&Millau points between them, members of JRE combine a love of creativity and innovation with a respect for local products and tradition.
We at RCH valued the idea of developing this relationship so much because – well, the word ‘passion’ is embedded right in their mission statement. Societies such as JRE are essential for harnessing the vitality of young chefs and constantly supporting this, disseminating ideas, best practices, creativity, passion and love throughout the industry.
We feel that at RCH we can assist with this too. We aim on a daily basis to develop products that streamline the business side of restaurant operations so that restaurateurs can focus on what truly makes them happy (and let’s face it – makes all of us happy…) good food! By introducing young and upcoming chefs to technologies that don’t just make cash-taking easier, but actually contribute to the strategic development of their businesses – we hope to inspire a generation.
How specifically do we do that? Well, take for example our RCH AT15 range. The RCH A-TOUCH SYSTEM software provides a complete and comprehensive set of management tools for the entire restaurant process – from allocating tables when a customer books, to taking orders, to managing back-of-house accountancy and compliance, as well as additional functions like CRM.
But, what does this mean for a chef’s creativity and passion?
It means focus. Passionate food creation has to be performed meticulously under highly stressful conditions. If a restaurant mismanages its bookings and thinks 20 customers are arriving, when 200 have booked – how can a chef be creative in those conditions? If a waiter puts an order in incorrectly and the chef has to redo the dish – as checks mount up on the pass – how can they be focused on perfection with that level of stress? If the chef knows that after service, he still has hours of tedious accountancy to complete for the day, how difficult would it be maintain passion in those conditions?
We know that by providing software which simplifies, automates and generates usable business data, we give chefs the gift of time. Of focus. Of passion. And in the end, that’s the passion that drives us too.
