Digital convenience meets efficient restaurant operations

A retail company was looking for a way to test new technologies risk-free. Using Cloud Foundations from Sunrise Business, the fashion retailer was able to find a new point-of-sale system that meets its specific needs for all its shops quickly and flexibly. The flexible cloud service gave the SME the ability to make informed decisions and laid the foundation for further growth.

Customer

Restaurant Allegro* is a charming 70-seat bistro in the heart of a bustling Swiss city centre. Renowned for its seasonal cuisine, warm hospitality and atmospheric events, such as wine and dine evenings, corporate functions and public viewings, the team strives to deliver quality – both on the plate and in its service.

But everything has to be just right behind the scenes too: processes need to be efficient and the technology needs to be reliable – and at the end of the day the figures need to add up. Transaction fees for cashless payment transactions in particular have a significant impact on the restaurant’s financial results. This is why the owner was keen to find a solution that combines card payments, Internet, calls and digital security in a single package – one that is cost-effective, easy to understand and ready to use any time.

Initial situation

Before switching to SME Ready Connect & Pay, the Allegro team worked with a variety of providers for its Internet, calls, IT security and card payments. This led to an unnecessary amount of coordination work and technical friction. Wi-Fi coverage did not extend to the terrace, the phone line was unable to handle all the calls at peak times and the old POS payment terminal generated high fees – and the proportion of card transactions, smartwatch payments and Twint payments was increasing.

Especially critical considerations were that the previous card reader was outdated, a replacement device from the same manufacturer was expensive to buy and inflexible to operate, and the acquiring contract incurred excessive transaction costs and was unsuitable for future business development – replacing the device was inevitable.

Why SME Ready Connect & Pay from Sunrise Business?

Sunrise Business offers three carefree packages , suitable for hotels and restaurants, beauty salons and health service providers, or for shops wanting to modernise their digital infrastructure with minimal effort, simplify processes and optimise costs at the same time. All packages are ready for immediate use and offer local support in all national languages.

In addition to the basic S package with Internet, cybersecurity and a Nexi card reader for contactless payment, the M package also includes multi-line calls with up to five parallel lines and a Wi-Fi booster for comprehensive Internet coverage. The L package also offers Business TV Public for legally compliant TV service – perfect for public viewing and digital customer information.

For Restaurant Allegro, it was crucial that the Internet, calls, public-viewing TV access and payment solution were all provided in a coordinated manner – including simple installation, personal support and expandability, without any complex migrations or special IT knowledge.

Nexi’s integrated card terminal offers a future-proof alternative, especially in view of the imminent end-of-life phase of old card terminals. It can be expanded flexibly with additional payment terminals and is technically up to date – thanks, in part, to automatic software updates. This means it offers guests a modern payment experience with manageable costs.

Solution and implementation

The management team ultimately opted for the integrated SME Ready Connect & Pay L solution, which meets today’s restaurant requirements perfectly, and also offers a future-proof solution:

• Nexi payment terminal POS A77 – Contactless, intuitive and «future-ready»: the card readers update automatically, work reliably and meet all Swiss regulations. By using a leasing model rather than buying each device, sourcing is cost-effective and the transaction fees are particularly attractive compared to the industry average (0.95% debit/1.75% credit) – ideal for restaurants with a high number of card transactions.

• High-speed Internet with an additional Wi-Fi extender – Seamless coverage from the cold-storage room to the terrace for fast and stable surfing.

• Integrated cyber security – The security solution with Cisco Umbrella delivers reliable protection behind the scenes and meets all SME requirements.

• Business Ready Phone – Five parallel virtual phone lines to ensure you will not miss any calls – whether it’s a reservation, a supplier or a regular customer. Ideal for admin tasks, order processing and event bookings.

• Business TV Public – More than 280 channels plus proprietary content for event advertising and customer information – legally compliant and flexible. Perfect for public viewing, sport broadcasts and digital menu displays in the dining area and on the terrace.

After an initial phone consultation, Sunrise Business worked with the restaurant owner to analyse the daily requirements and plan the entire migration process. The installation was coordinated so that the kitchen and table service could continue operating smoothly.

Internet and Wi-Fi extenders now provide coverage from the terrace to the cold-storage room. The new phone system with five lines ensures that reservations and supplier enquiries can be accepted at the same time. The card reader was delivered preconfigured by Nexi and a second device was integrated seamlessly so that bills can be settled without long waits, even at busy times and out on the terrace. In addition, Allegro received access to Business TV Public to offer public-viewing experiences for its guests and event communication.

Result

Since switching to SME Ready Connect & Pay, the Allegro team has been able to save both time and money – and can now offer its guests a consistently modern experience. Digitisation is no longer an alien concept but is part of the service philosophy.

The payment solution impresses not just with its functionality, but also with its cost structure: the transaction fees are significantly cheaper than with the previous provider – a real bonus for the profit margin.

Stable Internet supports the service, TV Public supports the growing event business, while the phone system eliminates any bottlenecks. Cybersecurity protects sensitive data discreetly in the background.

The team particularly appreciates the local support service available in all national languages to support payments and also Internet, calls and TV. This means that the restaurant is technically future-proof – and this will also help it grow further.

Advantages of SME Ready Connect & Pay at a glance

1. Fast Internet for restaurants – stable and comprehensive Wi-Fi, even in adjoining rooms or on the terrace

2. Secure, fast payments with minimal transaction fees (0.95% debit/1.75% credit) – for all common payment methods with credit and debit cards, smartphones, smartwatches and TWINT

3. Business phone lines without any bottlenecks – ideal for reservations and supplier communication

4. TV entertainment and event communication on up to ten screens – legally compliant and flexible

5. In-person support from Switzerland – fast, competent, solution-oriented

6. Modular expandability – grows with you

7. Cost-effective – attractive monthly rates and fees, with no high acquisition costs

8. Ready to use immediately – quick installation, preconfigured features

9. Future-proof infrastructure – thanks to the latest technology and automatic updates

* The example of Restaurant Allegro has been anonymised, but is based on a real customer case. The experience and solutions outlined have been tried and tested in practice – and are very relevant to many SMEs.