How Clarke’s Bar & Dining Room keeps its standards high with connected technology

There is more to a well-run restaurant than just what lands on the table. Clarke’s Bar & Dining Room on Cape Town’s Bree Street is famous for its burgers, hash eggs and generally good vibes, but without its seamless integrated technology, things would be a lot trickier for the popular spot. Here, general manager Josh van Zyl talks us through how the eatery keeps its standards consistently high and its customers loyal.

A Bree Street institution
This year, Clarke’s was named an Eat Out Neighbourhood Gem after being nominated by chefs and food professionals around the country. But what makes Clarke’s Clarke’s? “It would be the welcoming atmosphere; we’re incredibly proud of our team, and the way they make people feel,” explains Josh. “Our customers are a part of our environment, and atmosphere, as much as we are.”

Using integrated technology from TabletPOS allows the team to focus on the human side of things while the technology takes care of the rest.

An integrated life
Before Clarke’s adopted an integrated system, there were things that could fall through the cracks. “It would be small, nuanced things, mainly reporting,” Josh explains. Now, with support from TabletPOS, it’s easier to stay on top of everything. “We currently use TabletPOS, which integrates into 5Loyalty, both of which feed into HOPS/Opsimize, which is our stock system. They all work together and help us keep track of what’s going on within the business at any given moment.”

In practice, that means the point-of-sale system, loyalty programme and stock management all share information in real time, which means no manual transfers, duplicate entries or waiting for end-of-month reports to understand what is happening on the floor.

Decisions in real time
When POS, stock and loyalty data all live in one connected system, the picture of the business sharpens considerably. Josh and his team can spot trends as they happen, rather than reconstructing them after the fact.

“We’re able to easily moderate and keep an eye on stock levels, over-ordering and under-ordering,” he says. “We’re able to actively keep up with demand, or lack thereof, and make easy and quick decisions.”

This agility is important in a high-volume kitchen, where one busy weekend can throw off stock counts if the numbers are not updating in real time.

Looking after regulars
One of the clearest benefits of integration shows up in how Clarke’s gets to know its customers. The loyalty programme connects smoothly with the POS, giving the team a window into dining habits and preferences without any extra admin.

“5Loyalty and TabletPOS integrate pretty smoothly and effortlessly,” says Josh. “We’re able to control our stock numbers from TabletPOS, add new items easily, and change things around as we like. It helps us get to know what the customers like, how often they’re coming, and even lets us treat them to a free coffee once in a while with the coffee stamp system. The idea of our customers being able to use points … is also incredibly convenient for both us and them. We want to take care of the people who take care of us.”

Part of the family
For all the efficiency that integrated technology brings, Josh is clear that the goal is not smoother operations for their own sake – it’s about the experience at the table. When the systems are working well, the team can focus on what matters most – the customers.

“We want all our customers to feel like they’re part of the family, they’re important; they need to feel seen, heard, and taken care of,” he says.

Listen to your system
Asked what he would tell another established, high-volume restaurant considering integration, Josh’s advice is straightforward:

“Listen. Listen to your system, listen to your customers, they aren’t lying, and will give you the information you need, if you’re willing to receive it.”

It’s a fitting summary of the Clarke’s approach: the technology gives you the data, the customers give you the direction, and the restaurant gets to focus on doing what it does best.

Watch as Josh chats to Eat Out Head of Content Tessa Purdon…

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