Oporto

Oporto, the Portuguese-style chicken and burger chain, has big expansion plans for the UK and TISSL will be there every step of the way.

With more than 120 outlets across Australia, New Zealand and China, Oporto now has exciting growth plans for the UK. There are currently three Oporto quick service restaurants in the UK (Derby, Dudley and Victoria in London) which offer Portuguese-style chicken and burgers and this number is set to grow to nearly 30 next year.

Oporto was established by Antonio Cerqueira, who opened his first restaurant on Sydney’s Bondi Beach in 1986, quickly gaining an ever-growing army of fans. Oporto combines special recipes, secret sauces and traditional cooking methods, while its chicken is fresh, not frozen; grilled, not fried.

The UK restaurants within the Oporto chain changed over to an EPoS system provided by TISSL in July this year. TISSL was recommended to Simon Beal, operations director of Oporto in the UK, because of its ‘great customer service’ and he has not been disappointed.

“We didn’t talk to anyone else, as TISSL came highly recommended. They developed the software and have rolled out the project very quickly,” says Simon. “We only started talking to them in July and, by the middle of November, the systems in our three trading restaurants were up and running.”

Simon reports that the EPoS system which Oporto was using prior to working with TISSL simply did not deliver.

“I need to be in control of the business and the previous system did not offer me the tools to do that effectively,” he explains. “It didn’t allow me to run off reports, monitor stock control or keep track of time and attendance.”

Oporto has big expansion plans for the UK over the next few years, so needed an EPoS system which would grow with the business, offering flexibility and functionality.

“With TISSL onboard, I can monitor stock control and ordering and run-off detailed reports,” says Simon. “I’ve gone from having really no control, to total control.”

In particular, the opportunity to up sell with the TISSL system drove up sales in Oporto outlets overnight. The software which TISSL has developed for Oporto includes an automatic pop-up for up selling, which prompts the user to ask for additional items to compliment a customer’s order.

When it comes to stock control, TISSL has set Oporto up with the WhenToManage stock management system, which is fully web-based and accessible from anywhere in the world. The system handles invoicing and supplier management, in order to ensure stock levels are correct, right down to ingredient level.

The TISSL EPoS system has an interface to a Kitchen Management System, which sends orders to the relevant kitchen terminals, such as the fry station or the grill station. The system helps Oporto to improve efficiency and helps to speed up service times. The system not only provides information from the front of house to the kitchen, but vice versa. For example, grill items can be bumped by kitchen staff when the item is cooked, providing immediate feedback to the screen viewed by team members at the front of house.

“Speed of service is critical in any quick service restaurant and, with the TISSL system onboard, we are serving our customers quicker and serving more customers,” says Simon.

The system also includes comprehensive time and attendance (T&A) software, which utilises fingerprint technology to clock staff in and out.

Simon says that he is very impressed by the wide variety of features which the TISSL system offers Oporto and says that there are features which the company is seriously considering for the future.

“We are not using the system to the full – in fact, we are probably only using two-tenths of what it can do – and I see that as a positive thing as it can grow and develop with us,” he explains.

Oporto is currently looking at running digital signage through its TISSL EPoS, while the group is also considering CCTV integration, loyalty schemes and rewards, and promotional coupons.

“I would 100% recommend TISSL,” says Simon. “It’s not just the system, but the people behind the system. The support we have received has been excellent.”