Piatto: Classic Italian street food in Glasgow
Seven years ago, Kieran Paterson met Angelo Catena at the gym, and his persistent nudging to open an Italian street food spot in Glasgow worked. It was a risk, but it paid off, surviving a pandemic and a health scare along the way. Piatto's customers come for the authentic dishes, with social media buzz keeping the momentum going year after year. Lightspeed has supported that growth for four years, and we sat down with Angelo and Jack Allardice, Piatto’s General Manager, to learn more about their story. Keep reading, and watch the video below.
Business type:
Quick service restaurant
Products:
Location:
Glasgow
Staying strong though Covid
The first few years weren’t easy for Piatto. The restaurant opened in 2019, just before the pandemic hit, and Angelo suffered a heart attack not long after. But through it all, the team kept the doors open.
"Covid made us stronger, because we were open when everyone else was closed," says Angelo. "We did a lot of work for the hospitals. People were donating pasta for the nurses, and we'd send them over. Once I came back, we were back, and we get stronger and stronger every year."
A simple till for less mistakes
For the past four years, Piatto has relied on Lightspeed's till system, and added the payment terminal in November last year. Since then, the two have worked hand in hand, making service faster and simpler for a team with a real mix of tech confidence, from tech-savvy staff to those who prefer to keep things simple.
"It's one of the easiest systems I've used so far," says Jack. "The layout of the till and the card machine is so simple — we've got a variety of staff, some good with tech and some not, some old, some young. It's a till you can't make mistakes on, and you can change it however you want."
The integration between till and payment terminal has made a particular difference compared to systems Piatto used in the past.
"I've used other machines where the payment system and till weren't connected," Jack adds. "It was a pain, especially when it was busy, having to do that manually for every order."
Watching the numbers
Cashing out used to mean checking multiple systems separately. But with Lightspeed, Jack can check in on both Piatto and their sister location, Sotto Deli, from anywhere, even on a day off.
"Instead of having to check four different things when I'm cashing out, I only have to do Uber and Lightspeed," says Jack. "There's not five different buttons, you don't have to print everything off. On my days off, I can just go to my phone. I've got it on the app, and I can see how much both shops have made rather than having to phone the shop and ask someone to check."
"I can always see how much the shop is making at any point in my day, and it saves so much time," he adds. "I can see everything at all times: every order we've taken, how much we've sold. And I can do it sitting on my couch. It's a lifesaver."
“Having the notes adjustment on the till, we can put allergies, we can put 'faster please' if they're in a rush, and [the chefs] can understand it quickly. It saves me a lot of time and hassle, probably about half an hour to 45 minutes a night.”
Jack Allardice, General ManagerSaving time with smarter menus
Piatto updates its specials twice a month, and its deli menu once a month, decisions now driven by sales data rather than guesswork. It's a shift that's also helped bridge a gap in the kitchen, where customisation requests can otherwise get lost.
"We can see how many of each dish we've sold, and if it doesn't sell well, we won't do it again," says Jack. "It's a lot easier than having to guess by produce in the kitchen."
"Having the notes adjustment on the till, we can put allergies, we can put 'faster please' if they're in a rush, and [the chefs] can understand it quickly. It saves me a lot of time and hassle, probably about half an hour to 45 minutes a night."
Changes in minutes, not weeks
After 12 years in hospitality and six different systems along the way, Jack is clear about what sets Lightspeed apart: speed and independence. Changes that used to mean emailing a provider and waiting weeks can now be made in minutes, from his laptop in a café or his phone at home.
"Lightspeed is so simple to use, so simple to edit, and the backend of it — you can do it in 20 minutes, from anywhere," says Jack.
"Other companies I've used in the past, you've had to contact them, email them the changes, and then it takes three weeks to do it differently, which is a pain, especially when things change so much in hospitality,” he adds. “Lightspeed does everything for you, and it's simple for my staff as well. Everybody can use it, and that's what makes it so much better than everybody else."
Piatto uses Payments to streamline their operations.
Find out how you can too.
