Wedged between a copy center and a pet store in a St. Louis strip mall, Sugarfire Smokehouse sprung from humble beginnings and big dreams. But when it came to sharing the magic of Missouri’s barbeque with the rest of America, location was only an address. Since 2012, co-owners Mike Johnson and Carolyn Downs led a delicious expedition through their favorite cities, leaving mouth-watering meals in their wake. Now, with 14 locations, Sugarfire Smokehouse has made light work of their big dream–“spreading the gospel of smoked meat across the nation.”
With high food costs, tight margins, and fluctuating demand in the wake of a pandemic, restaurants must present themselves as perfectly-balanced operations. Fortunately, Sugarfire Smokehouse knows the recipe for success calls for use of the best tools at hand. That’s where Craftable comes in.
Craftable is the only platform that seamlessly connects purchasing, recipes, inventory, and sales with accounting to help operators like Sugarfire drive profit. Here’s what Charlie Downs, President and Managing Partner of Sugarfire Smokehouse, had to say about teaming up with Craftable:
“Sugarfire Smokehouse uses Craftable to connect purchases from US Foods with our inventory, recipes, and sales. Craftable lets us identify variance with actual versus theoretical inventory and also allows us to see our labor in real-time. The insights Craftable provides allow us to drive decision making and improve our bottom line.”
Practical, powerful insights like this sit at the core of Craftable’s heart. If Sugarfire Smokehouse’s goal is to share delicious barbeque with the world, Craftable’s is to help them and others like them do just that—better than ever.
Data is vital for any operator, but Craftable’s Analytics tool takes it to the next level. With Analytics, every sale serves your business twice–once at the register, and once as detailed, digestible information, empowering operators to make better business decisions. From forecasting your future to comparing sales with labor in real time using our new Heartbeat addition, Craftable unlocks opportunities for bigger profits.
Of course, it’s easy to say something, but the proof is in the pudding (or, in this case, the “world’s best sandwich” Cuban Reuben.) Here’s Charlie Downs again:
“Craftable and US Foods has been wonderful. We started using it a few months ago and already dropped 4.5% in food cost. For our size company with 24 restaurants, it’s been really easy to implement and use.”
It’s not just money Craftable works to save operators, either. Craftable’s goal is to drive up margins while lowering labor by automating manual processes of inventory, ordering, and AP management. This allows operators to focus on the most important piece of hospitality: guest experience. Don’t just take our word for it. Veronica Schuster, the Director of Hospitality at Sugarfire Smokehouse, had this to say about the time Craftable has saved:
“Craftable has helped with both controlling our cost of goods and improving purchasing behavior. They have saved us hours and hours by streamlining the back-office.”
Our advice? See how close the nearest Sugarfire Smokehouse is to you to level up your barbeque (or check out their newest addition Cyrano’s Cafe for more one-of-a-kind tastes) and schedule a demo with Craftable to level up your operation. Who knew savings could taste so good?
