On the west coast of Africa sits a small scatter of islands. So if you’re looking for the westernmost point on the continent, then Dakar in Senegal is probably your best bet — but look further and you’ll find Cabo Verde, a nation of archipelagos.
Boa Vista, the east island of this patch in the Atlantic ocean, shares most of the same characteristics as the rest of Cabo Verde. White beaches, pastel-coloured houses, and the surround of the blue ocean has ensured its top spot as an area of outstanding natural beauty. No wonder it is one of Cabo Verde’s top tourist destinations.
Although the capital of this little paradise is Praia in the island of Santiago, Sal Rei attracts thousands of international visitors every year. As such, hospitality venues have sprouted up like tropical flowers all across the island’s shores. One of which is Sodade Casa de Cultura, a traditional restaurant on the west coast of the island.
A Fresh Face in Sal Rei
Sodade Casa de Cultura takes pride in its key location on the coast of Sal Rei. In English, the restaurant’s name literally means, House of Culture. Dwelling in a historic building that dates back to Portugal’s colonial era (Cabo Verde became independent in 1975), the restaurant has devoted its entire second floor to the island’s history, acting as a museum for visitors.
As such, the restaurant is an ideal haunt for tourists. After a lengthy period renovating the building up to standard, the restaurant opened in November 2021 and has enjoyed a steady trade ever since.
The team told us they typically seat around 200 clients a week. So, to handle demand, Sodade Casa de Cultura recently employed Carbonara App to help with guest management. After talking with the team, here’s what we learned about their overall experience with smartphone technology.
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Using Pen and Paper
Previously, the Sodade Casa de Cultura team used a paper notebook and a pen to log, record, and manage guest details. Like many restaurants across the world, this was their status quo guest management system. The team used pen-and-paper without knowing the alternatives. As such, the limitations of a pen-and-paper notebook were never apparent until the team tried out a digital system.
They realised the primary problem with a pen-and-paper solution pretty quickly. “If we weren’t at the restaurant,” the team said, “or hadn’t the notebook [within] reach, we sometimes couldn’t take in reservations”. This was a huge problem. Only one notebook stagnated workflow. The simple fact that the notebook was physical prevented productivity.
“With Carbonara [App], we are able to [take reservations] on several devices,” the team told us. “There’s more than one person writing [reservations] down on the app, regardless of where they are!”
Sodade Casa de Cultura now enjoy the benefits of cloud-based technology. Using their own smartphones, each team member can handle clients and their bookings. No more worrying about where to find the notebook in the restaurant. Find out more about cloud-based functionality.
The Need for Digital Features
The Sodade Casa de Cultura team let us know that they chose Carbonara App because it seemed more intuitive than the rest. Modelled on easy-to-use smartphone features, the app helps restaurants to download, pick up, and use within minutes. This means that restaurants don’t lose any time training staff.
In addition, Sodade Casa de Cultura were looking for specific features that suited their needs. “Being able to merge tables is a feature that we use quite often. It’s really helpful to say the least!” Restaurants can manage, merge, and assign tables to guests — all from the tap of a few buttons. Read more about Carbonara App’s specialist table features, including advice on how to keep restaurant tables full.
Online Reservations
It is becoming increasingly important for restaurants worldwide — and Sodade Casa de Cultura is no exception to the rule.
Carbonara App provides restaurants with free online reservations, enabling customers to book tables at their convenience. Sodade Casa de Cultura were glad to share their enthusiasm for this feature. “Indeed, we get better control over reservations. Plus clients can book a table at any moment!”
The benefits of online reservations for restaurants were immediate. “We highlight the fact that [Carbonara] App allows you to choose which tables are bookable online.” Online reservations not only maintain the restaurateurs’ control over their bookings — they enhance them too. Teams are able to better handle clients and better anticipate their needs. Learn more about how online reservations help restaurants out.
Better Overall Restaurant Management
Finally, we asked whether Sodade Casa de Cultura would recommend Carbonara App to other restaurants tackling high demand from clients. The answer was a clear and confident yes.
In fact, the Sodade Casa de Cultura team shared an anecdote, telling us that they had already recommended Carbonara App via word of mouth.
“[We] already recommended it to a friend of [ours] who will be opening a restaurant soon. I told him, if he wants to simplify his restaurant’s management, he should really use Carbonara App!”
Carbonara App helps simplify and streamline everyday restaurant operations. Restaurants all across Europe are using Carbonara App to great results. Read about a restaurant in north-western Spain in our article, “Casa Grande de Cristosende Enjoys Carbonara App” for more good news and feedback from our users.
Also, check out how Carbonara App has helped this Italian restaurant: “Owner of Ristorante la Canisela Enjoys Carbonara App”.
