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Partner Spotlight
Honky Tonk Rocks and Rolls Its Way into 80% Variance Reduction
Whether it’s dancing on the Cruise Rooftop at FGL House, hearing an edgy country band at Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar, snapping a picture under the aerial hanging truck at Luke’s 32 Bridge, or enjoying the “glitz and glam” at Miranda Lambert’s Casa Rosa, TC Restaurant Group (TCRG) gives their customers something to talk about. Partnering with the biggest stars in country music, TCRG develops premier dining and entertainment destinations in Nashville and beyond.
Sugarfire Smokehouse Lowers Food Costs 4.5% with Craftable
Wedged between a copy center and a pet store in a St. Louis strip mall, Sugarfire Smokehouse sprung from humble beginnings and big dreams. But when it came to sharing the magic of Missouri’s barbeque with the rest of America, location was only an address. Since 2012, co-owners Mike Johnson and Carolyn Downs led a delicious expedition through their favorite cities, leaving mouth-watering meals in their wake. Now, with 14 locations, Sugarfire Smokehouse has made light work of their big dream–“spreading the gospel of smoked meat across the nation.”
With high food costs, tight margins, and fluctuating demand in the wake of a pandemic, restaurants must present themselves as perfectly-balanced operations. Fortunately, Sugarfire Smokehouse knows the recipe for success calls for use of the best tools at hand. That’s where Craftable comes in.
Craftable is the only platform that seamlessly connects purchasing, recipes, inventory, and sales with accounting to help operators like Sugarfire drive profit. Here’s what Charlie Downs, President and Managing Partner of Sugarfire Smokehouse, had to say about teaming up with Craftable:
“Sugarfire Smokehouse uses Craftable to connect purchases from US Foods with our inventory, recipes, and sales. Craftable lets us identify variance with actual versus theoretical inventory and also allows us to see our labor in real-time. The insights Craftable provides allow us to drive decision making and improve our bottom line.”
Square + Craftable Help Manage Operating Costs
Entrepreneurs Joe Correia and John Dantzler had been brewing beer in the Bronx for more than a decade when they decided to expand their operation into a...
Craftable to Exhibit at the National Restaurant Association Show and Announces Integration with Square
DALLAS, Texas – May 17th, 2022 — Craftable is honored to be exhibiting at the National Restaurant Association Show taking place May 21-24, 2022, at McCormick Place in Chicago. The showcase is the ultimate destination for industry professionals looking to build strategic partnerships, create meaningful connections and shop innovative ideas.
Partner Spotlight: Kasey Wien
Kasey Wien, the Associate Manager of Supply at Dig Inn, helps source, procure, and buy the ingredients that make the restaurant popular. With a Public Policy degree from Duke, a job in the food industry might seem like a disconnect, but the work she’s helping Dig Inn do is right in line with her goal of making an impact.
Partner Spotlight: Tyson Buhler
Tyson Buhler manages beverage operations at New York City’s exclusive cocktail hot spot, Death & Co. and is the US winner of the 2015 World Class Bartending Competition. As a teenager he worked as a dishwasher, made his way to Le Cordon Bleu and then landed in the craft cocktail scene where he found his true passion.
Partner Spotlight: Constantin Alexander
Meet Constantin Alexander, the beverage king of Las Vegas who manages one of the largest volume beverage programs in the world. His journey through the hospitality industry is phenomenal. Starting at his roots with a family owned restaurant-turned-nightclub and making his way through the finest restaurants, Constantin is a true inspiration.
Humble Beginnings
After starting his career at Clyde’s Restaurant Group, Constantin moved to Morton’s Restaurant Group where he became the youngest corporate trainer in company history. He helped manage his family’s gourmet food stores and restaurants before working with renowned James Beard award-winning chef Bob Kinkead. At the age of 23, he opened his very own Russian restaurant in Washington, DC., a block away from the white house. Unfortunately, the day after his restaurant opened, the horrific attacks that occurred on September 11th, caused the Secret Service to clear everyone out that was located within the quarantine zone.
To keep the staff on retainer despite having lost countless dollars in business due to the quarantine, Constantin and his business partner offered to pay staff rent. Although they were able to finally pay employees a salary a few months later, the restaurant continued to struggle. Due to its proximity to the World Bank, every time there was a protest, it had to be shut down.
With the last bit of cash from the register tills, Constantin took desperate measures by driving to Atlantic City to hit the poker tables, in hopes to win the restaurant’s rent and pay salaries. With luck on his side, Constantin was able to win what he needed to keep his business afloat and his staff taken care of, but this wasn’t sustainable.
The Gamble & the Payoff
In 2006, Constantin decided to leave the East Coast and try out his luck in Las Vegas as a professional poker player. All was good until he lost a significant amount of money during the 2006 World Series. At that time, he decided it was time to go all in poker style into the restaurant industry.
He polished his management skills by working for Jean-Georges Vongerichten at the Bellagio, Charlie Palmer at The Four Seasons, and he took the General Manager role at Morels French Steakhouse at the Palazzo. In 2011, he became the Assistant General Manager at Mon Ami Gabi at Paris Las Vegas where he helped increase sales to $32 million per year.
Constantin joined Hakkasan Group in 2014, which is one of the largest beverage programs in the US. Currently, he is the Director of Beverage, a position he cultivated on his own, where he oversees the world class wine and spirits program for the North American outlets.
Bringing on Tech
In the late 2000s, the hospitality industry’s technology changed and more robust systems were in use. However, as an old school lover, Constantin preferred doing inventory on pen and paper. Through much trial and error, he believed that pen, paper and walkie talkies were simply the most efficient way to get things done. Even if it required scanning and uploading inventory paperwork from 15 different staff members.
Most software programs they tested were either too complicated or took out too much of the human element. For example, most programs had too many automations for kitchen, which often backfired.