Lightspeed, a growth partner for foodservice groups

With nine establishments in France and soon a tenth abroad, the La Nouvelle Garde group continues to grow at a steady pace. To structure its operations and support this growth, the group has relied on Lightspeed from the outset.

Founded around a concept of contemporary French brasseries, La Nouvelle Garde has established itself in recent years as one of the most dynamic groups in the sector. Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille and Lille: each opening brings new operational challenges, in busy establishments where organization must remain fluid, both in the dining room and in the kitchen. To keep pace with this growth, the group chose Lightspeed from the outset. Much more than a simple cash register software package, the platform centralizes a range of useful tools for restaurateurs' day-to-day operations: order taking, cash collection, menu management, sales tracking and performance management.

"Right from the start, we issued several calls for tender, and Lightspeed was the solution that best met our expectations", recalls Etienne Vinatier, Executive Director of La Nouvelle Garde. Seven and a half years later, the group is still using the same tool in all its establishments. " Lightspeed has accompanied all our openings, and we've never wanted to change, because it's an easy-to-use tool that works very well", he maintains.

Streamlining operations in high-volume establishments

In brasseries where services follow one another at a steady pace, operational fluidity quickly becomes a central issue. For teams, the aim is to be able to concentrate on service and customer relations, without wasting time on ancillary tasks or complex tools. " We want our teams to focus on their core business," emphasizes Etienne Vinatier.

In particular, La Nouvelle Garde uses Lightspeed to take orders, manage menus and organize flows between the dining room and the kitchen. The group also stresses the benefits of having a single environment common to all its establishments. " Centralizing our operations on a single tool is very important to us", insists the Executive Director. In particular, this homogeneity facilitates team mobility between the Group's different brasseries. Both in the kitchen and in the dining room, processes remain identical from one establishment to the next. "In the event of internal mobility, chefs quickly find their bearings.

The software also makes it possible to quickly manage certain day-to-day operational constraints, such as product shortages or menu adjustments. " We can monitor stock levels in real time, which makes communication between teams much smoother", explains Etienne Vinatier. Another advantage highlighted by Vinatier is the tool's stability. Even in the event of network problems, teams can continue to work as normal. An essential point in establishments where every minute counts during service.

Data-driven growth

Beyond field operations, Lightspeed also plays an important role in monitoring the Group's performance. The data collected enables teams to better understand the activity of each facility, and to adjust certain decisions more quickly. These analyses are just as useful for anticipating orders as they are for fine-tuning the offer to customers. Étienne Vinatier cites the example of his cocktail menu. "We renew our menu every six months, and the data showed us that non-alcoholic cocktails were selling just as well as classic cocktails. So we decided to expand the offer."

Centralized information also gives managers greater visibility. Each chef de rang has his or her own cash register, and managers can keep precise track of the operations carried out in each establishment. " Even when we're not on site, we know exactly what's going on in our restaurants," says the manager.

For La Nouvelle Garde, this ability to structure operations while maintaining easy-to-use tools is a real growth driver. The group plans to pursue its development in the coming months, with an opening in London, again supported by Lightspeed.