KAMEREO Is really fortunate to be able to sit down with Thomas, General Manager of Shri Restaurant and Lounge Ho Chi Minh, to chat about the application of KAMEREO system at Shri.
About Shri
Shri has been in around since 2010 and has become the first international standard rooftop restaurant and lounge in HCMC. Shri is known for having one the of best cocktails in town as well as a wide range of wine selection.
In September 2018 Shri introduced Thomas Gillgren as its new General Manager Thomas has a background working in some of the best bars, restaurant and nightclubs in the world. He has opened and run more than 40 different venues around the world and with him, Shri will combine art, music and innovative solutions to give the guests a new experience every time they come to Shri. From developing and creating new concepts in his previous career and his love for wine, cocktails and food, he will ensure that Shri will continue being the place to go to for an extra ordinary experience. Together with Chef Javier they will give our guest something beyond great on the culinary side in a place where you want to be.
Shri
KAMEREO at Shri
Shri has been on board with KAMEREO for 2 months and our team decided to catch up with Thomas on how the system is performing at Shri as well as how he personally feels about our system so far.
How did you know about KAMEREO?
I’ve been looking for a system that can consolidate the purchase order as well as cost control. Because in the restaurant industry, there’re so many items that we want to order. So it’s very easy to get lost. And it’s also hard to control, from a cost control point of view. Comparing prices of items, etc., you have to do it via email or phone calls.
That’s when I met Taku from KAMEREO. We sat down and talked about the system. I liked it and we started using it.
So you and your team have been using KAMEREO for 2 months now?
Yeah we used it for 2 months. But I have used this kind of system before. Even though I’m from Sweden, I’ve been working abroad for over 20 years, in London, Dubai, Indonesia, Hong Kong. So sometimes, things are often done on paper. There would be a lot of papers and Excel sheets, a lot of different ways to communicate with suppliers. And for us, people in the F&B industry, we order hundreds of items everyday. We really need a good system to control this.
How is your team getting used to the system?
Yeah they’re getting used to it. But to get used to a new system, they need a bit of time to be able to use it to the maximum. But I think the KAMEREO system is quite diverse. Because you can find the suppliers and any body who’s on the system. You can compare prices and you can find other suppliers.
Especially in restaurants, the kitchen orders fresh food. Fresh food as we know, is available on a seasonal basis and to be imported. So sometimes you need to find the same item but it’s not available with one supplier then you’d have to contact another supplier. That means, they have to make phone calls, meetings. Now with this system, you can find equalling item from another supplier.
After 2 months of using the system, how is KAMEREO helping you increase the efficiency of the purchasing process and cutting down the cost of time?
The efficiency is getting there. From my point of view, a purchasing manager is not just a manager who purchases everything. They’re the one who compares prices, the one who finds the best quality products. A chef or a bar manager is only 1 person, and because they’re really involved with the restaurant’s operation, we really need a good purchasing manager. And the purchase manager needs the right tool to execute their job. Part of their job is to compare the prices and find the items that either the bar or the kitchen needs. The system reliefs time for them to do so.
What’s your favourite feature of KAMEREO system?
My favourite is that you can choose the report that you want. That’s what everybody loves in this industry.
At the end of the month, it’s always about inventory. You need to compare your ins and outs. This system gives me a chance to consolidate all the data, all the deliveries, all the orders on my sheet. I can also export it to an Excel sheet which is really important. Then I compare my cost. I can see what was delivered, from where, who, when. I think it also helps the accounting department to get the numbers they need.
It makes it easier to see that ok, we order a lot from this supplier. That gives me a chance to call this supplier and say: hi guys, we actually order this amount from you, can we have a look at the prices?. That is also a base for negotiation.
We would like to thanks Thomas again for kindly sat down and shared his experience with his. We hope KAMEREO would help Shri’s team thrive more in the future!
Please contact KAMEREO team via info@kamereo.vn or 0839443000 for any inquiries or demo request!