All-American Diner Embraces Wireless Handheld Technology

Menlo Park, CA - Stacks’ Restaurant, the legendary California breakfast diner, announces today the installation of the next generation in restaurant service, a “digital pencil and pad” from ASI called the Write-On Handheld™. The Write-On Handheld is a wireless point-of-sale (POS) system that enables Stacks renowned staff to serve guests more quickly and enhance the level of tableside service.

Famous for its melt-in-your mouth pancakes, Stacks’ provides breakfast and lunch foods with a warm, hands-on, personal hospitality. “Our reputation was built on the diversity of our food as well as the quality of our service,” says Stacks’ assistant manager Monika Kohn. “We’re in the breakfast and lunch industry, so speed and efficiency are paramount to our success. With the Write-On Handheld, we have taken our already speedy service to the next level.”

The patented* Write-On Handheld is the only wireless POS system on the market that takes full advantage of the handwriting recognition capabilities built into the operating systems of pocket PCs. It is as easy to use as a pencil and pad with all the recognized benefits of automated order entry. The application, developed by ASI and distributed locally by Krutman Electronic Systems, Inc., effectively handles large menus while enhancing customer service. Unlike other handheld systems that employ a touch-button approach, which can be cumbersome for use at tableside, the simple and intuitive Write-On Handheld allows a server to pay full attention to his or her customers while discreetly writing down their order.

“Before we adopted this technology, our servers were constantly running between the stationary touch screens and their tables,” says Stacks’ assistant manager Monika Kohn. “Now, our servers can take and send orders tableside, allowing them to spend more time focusing on our guests’ needs.” Kohn continues, “Furthermore, the Write-On Handheld allows my servers to keep track of our extensive menu plus ever-changing daily specials and puts information about ingredients and recipes at their fingertips – literally. All of this, combined with the ability to let me view up-to-the-minute operational information, it’s a win-win for everyone!”

“The Write-On Handheld is great! It is extremely simple to use and allows me to send orders right from my table.” says waitress Simone Sarracino. “I avoid the lines at stationary touch screens and have more time to concentrate on my customers’ needs. I am able to handle more tables and my tips have increased – it’s great.”

“With most technological advancements one must weigh the costs and benefits to the company and staff,” says Stack’s co-owner Geoffrey Swensen. “With the Write-On Handheld there are only positives. Our guests are pleased with our enhanced service and our servers are thrilled with the discreetness of the product. The Write-On Handheld has delivered all that it promised and more.”

According to Tom Krutman of Krutman Electronic Systems, Inc., “The impact that this technological development stands to make is amazing. In the past, the general consensus was that handhelds were only suitable for ‘special’ environments, such as stadiums, outdoor patios, and other situations where there was a large distance between the customer and the fixed POS station and food preparation areas. This ‘consensus’ was based on the idea that handheld technology was too big, expensive, unreliable and very hard to use. No longer is that the case. The new generation of handhelds are smaller, cheaper and more reliable – and with software as user friendly as the Write-On Handheld, it’s the first product I have come across that truly has no downside.”