How to Scale from 5K to 110k Guests Without Missing a Beat
Santa Anita Park’s journey with digital ordering began with the pandemic. Embracing the shift towards a more digitized dining experience, they integrated the GoTab system to keep pace with the evolving health, safety, and guest experience demands.
From POS for Dine-in, to QR Ordering for Self-Service, GoTab Handles it All with Aplomb
Santa Anita Park’s journey with digital ordering began with the pandemic. Embracing the shift towards a more digitized dining experience, they integrated the GoTab system to keep pace with the evolving health, safety, and guest experience demands.
As they navigated through the complexities of the pandemic, they relied heavily on GoTab’s QR ordering system. It became a cornerstone of Santa Anita Park’s operations. Now, in the main dining area, they opted for a blend of traditional and modern, utilizing POS systems for servers while continuing to utilize QR codes for self-service areas. The goal is to always strike the right balance between personal touch and efficiency. Their digital ordering runners, equipped with handheld devices, have become the bridge between the kitchen and the customers, ensuring a seamless flow of orders and service.
The Situation
Santa Anita’s adaptive strategies using GoTab have been put to the test during their large events.
“Attendance for some events can soar from 5,000-7,000 on an average day, to an astonishing 110,000 guests for our annual Breeders Cup event. GoTab helps the team achieve exceptional agility, managing a staggering influx of orders with precision,” says Rick Bakker, Director of Hospitality, Santa Anita Park.
These large events not only test their capacity but also highlight the invaluable role of the GoTab digital ordering system in managing high-volume days with ease. Their ability to scale up server space for larger events, coupled with easy-to-manage programming, showcased the flexibility and adaptability GoTab provides.
The Solution
To streamline invoicing, Santa Anita also uses GoTab for catering and group sales. GoTab’s mobile delivery options are the real game-changer, optimizing labor while at the same time enhancing their service delivery. GoTab QR ordering and payment has been particularly instrumental in managing Santa Anita’s expansive seating areas – from the 1,500 outdoor seats to the 2,500 box seats – with minimal wait staff. This innovative approach allows the park to cover vast areas efficiently, reducing labor costs significantly.
Despite the challenges of managing a large and diverse operation, the support system provided by GoTab, including direct access to dedicated support on their most demanding days, has been a cornerstone of Santa Anita’s success. This unparalleled support, combined with our commitment to innovation and customer service, continues to drive us forward in delivering exceptional dining experiences.
In sum, Santa Anita Park's journey with digital ordering, catalyzed by the global pandemic, has been a transformative process. The integration of the GoTab system was not just about keeping pace with industry trends; it was about reimagining the way they connect with and serve their patrons. As the park continues to explore and embrace new technologies, the focus remains steadfast on exceeding customer expectations and maintaining their status as a premier destination for dining and entertainment.
The Benefits
Manage anywhere from 5k - 110k guests and a staggering influx of orders with precision
Scale server capacity and provide dedicated customer support on peak event days
Hybrid service - POS in dining areas and QR ordering for self-service - significantly reduces labor costs
Tap Room Playbook Episode 2:
When you really think about it, with everything managers need to do in a tap room, the hospitality aspect is often overlooked.
Situated “in the heart of it all, yet tranquil enough to make you feel away from it all too,” The Limelight Hotel Snowmass offers 99 hotel rooms and 11 residences, as well as footsteps-to-gondola access in winter and summer — right in the middle of Snowmass Base Village.
The Situation
Especially over the last few years, the Limelight Hotels IT team had witnessed a significant shift to contactless technology in the hospitality industry. After evaluating friction points in the guest journey, aligning with modern technology platforms in their restaurant was determined to be an effective way to offer elevated contactless dining experiences to their guests while also evolving their technology platforms to continue to support long-term company goals. Limelight Hotel partnered with GoTab to provide an enhanced on-demand dining experience on par with the brand’s reputation for exceptional guest service.
The Solution
Reducing Staff Touch Points Without Sacrificing Guest Experience
Guests are now able to begin a tab from their room or the property’s restaurant by scanning a QR code, texting a link to friends or family members on the ski slope to add in their orders, then meeting up together at the patio or lodge to enjoy their meal and après ski festivities without interruption. By streamlining tasks like inputting orders and processing payments, this eliminates friction for hotel staff and allows them to focus on delivering renowned guest service for a memorable experience. Since partnering with GoTab, Limelight Snowmass has consistently seen higher check averages and sales.
“We found the Point of Sale platforms we were looking at offered the guest and staff limited opportunities to further reduce touch points or improve the traditional restaurant experience. The GoTab platform enabled the guest to take an active role over the flow of their experience while simultaneously reducing touch points and further streamlining restaurant operations.”Nick Giglio, Manager of Hotel IT Operations, The Little Nell Hotel Group
According to the Limelight Hotels team, some of the other platforms that were evaluated were either missing some of the pieces they were looking for, had weak customer support models, or had little willingness to develop integrations to existing hotel platforms already in place. To that end, GoTab integrated with cloud-based platform, Infor. Together, GoTab and Infor are providing dynamic solutions to support central, efficient service across hotel amenities and deliver exceptional guest experiences.
“Previously, guests would call down to the restaurant to begin an order from their room or while they were out enjoying the ski slopes. Using GoTab, guests can now place orders from anywhere on the resort, giving them the on-demand service they want without interrupting their day. GoTab empowers us to give control to the guest, reducing touch points and streamlining overall restaurant operations, making Limelight Hotel the resort of choice for Snowmass.”Nick Giglio, Manager of Hotel IT Operations, The Little Nell Hotel Group
Since introducing GoTab, The Limelight Hotel has seen a consistent level of upsells and items sold per check resulting in additional revenue capture. They have been able to maintain service levels in their restaurants during periods when there was reduced staffing available without significantly diminishing the guest experience.
The Benefits
Eliminate Phone Orders – Take Orders from the Slopes. Guests can start a tab from their room or on the mountain without interrupting the flow of their day.
Future-Proofed Technologies – Delivering elevated contactless ordering via integration with the Infor hotel management platform.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
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