The coffee shop OKLM, which we are introducing this time, was founded by coffee enthusiast Raymond along with other like-minded partners. The coffee shop aims to provide customers with a relaxing environment where they can enjoy high-quality hand-brewed coffee and Western cuisine. As a newcomer in the food and beverage industry, Raymond initially faced many challenges, including how to effectively promote the restaurant and attract target customers; how to increase customer return rates to build a loyal customer base; and how to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. Let's take a look at how KConnect's digital transformation consultants helped Raymond tackle these challenges through customized solutions!

OKLM's first shop was located on the less-trafficked inner street of Tsim Sha Tsui. Due to its location, it was difficult for the coffee shop to attract local customers during the off season. Lack of stable customer flow and insufficient online promotion to reach new customers became a major concern for the coffee shop at the beginning.

KConnect's digital transformation consultant provided Raymond with some digital marketing solutions to address the lack of awareness of the coffee shop at the initial stage of business, including arranging photo-taking for the cafe's food and coffee to increase the amount of promotional materials and strengthen the visual brand image of the restaurant. In addition, KConnect also provided online marketing services for the cafe to increase its exposure on social media platforms, attracting more potential customers to visit the cafe. The cafe can then reach more new customers and boosting its business turnover.

The coffee shop was initially located in Tsim Sha Tsui, and tourists were one of the main sources of customers. However, tourists from different countries and regions have different preferences in using electronic payment tools, and Raymond found it difficult to satisfy all their needs by only accepting cash or some electronic wallets: “In fact, a lot of tourists are not used to carrying a lot of cash with them, and they prefer using local electronic wallets to make payments. If we don't accept a specific payment method, they may simply find another restaurant."

KPay Smart POS Terminal provides Raymond's coffee shop with 17 mainstream payment methods and are compatible with 15 international e-wallet options on the Alipay+ platform. This not only allows customers to choose the most convenient payment method, but also completes the transaction quickly, significantly improving payment efficiency.

Raymond pointed out that if the ordering process is done manually during peak hours, it is easy for customers to be dissatisfied with the long waiting time for ordering and checking out, which even lose some customers. Providing customers with a better experience during the ordering process is another challenge.

To solve this problem, Raymond chose Gingersoft POS system. The system provides QR code ordering function, which allows customers to scan the QR code after being seated; the kitchen receives the order from the system and prepares the food directly, avoiding a long wait during the peak hours. At present, basically 80% of the customers are self-service ordering, which improves the efficiency of ordering, customer satisfaction and also helps to reduce the manpower required.

Raymond added that if the POS terminal and the POS system are not connected, there is a chance that the two systems have different records. This not only creates confusion in the transaction records, but also increases the time cost of reconciliation due to manual errors. “In addition, in the past, I would not know the daily revenue until I closed the shop and reconciled the account.” The lack of real-time turnover and in-depth operational data also made it difficult for Raymond to understand the café's business performance and make immediate adjustments to the operation strategy.

KPay Smart POS Terminal is connected to Gingersoft's F&B POS system. The automatic synchronisation of billing information not only makes payment collection more efficient, but also avoids manual errors . The KPay App allows Raymond to view the coffee shop's real-time business performance anytime anywhere, even when he is not in the shop. “The KPay App shows real-time transaction data, so you can see what time of the day is less crowded. We can also compare the sales volume of different months and days, which helps us make different planning decisions.” 

In addition to tourists, Raymond wanted to attract more local customers who love pour over coffee, but he found that the restaurant lacked the supportive measures to attract this group of customers. He understood that without an effective strategy to target these customers, it would be difficult to build a stable and loyal customer base in the long run. Especially in the highly competitive coffee shop market, attracting and retaining these customers became a pressing issue for him.

In order to attract loyal coffee lovers, Raymond introduced the JuicyApp membership card system, which provides customers with privileges through a self-developed points and rewards system. He shared, “Our current membership card gives us 10 points for every $100 spent, and those 10 points can be used as $10, which in effect gives our customers a 10% discount. It can be opened directly on mobile wallets without the need to download additional mobile apps, which is no hassle for customers. These rewards give them more incentives to come back and become our loyal customers.” Various member rewards programs, together with member-exclusive activities such as coffee workshops, have successfully attracted a group of regulars and increased the percentage of returning customers by 60%.

Through these measures, Raymond's restaurant not only successfully overcame its operational pain points, but also built a good reputation in the market, laying a solid foundation for future development. Such success not only recognises his efforts, but also provides him with more confidence and motivation for his future business.

Address : Shop 7, G/F, The Hudson, 11 Davis Street, Kennedy Town