Nik & Ivy Brewing Pioneers the Usage of Porter Food Ordering Platform in the Chicago Metro Area
LOCKPORT, Ill. – Nik & Ivy Brewing Co. on historic downtown State Street may be housed in a charming red brick storefront that hasn’t changed much in appearance since its construction in 1920, but the patrons inside are using nothing less than the latest 21st century technology to order food to accompany their frothy lagers.
Owners Paul and Chrissy Ivnik have partnered with a new web-based technology called Porter to create a virtual “food hall” experience for their guests. While they focus on pouring their 12 or so selections of craft beer, taproom customers use their smartphones to summon burgers, pizza, unique wild game pasta, cupcakes and more from local restaurants at the touch of a button.
Initial collaborators include Mamma Onesta’s Italian Restaurant, The Shack – BBQ, Wings & Burgers, Cupcakery Bakery, Mangia Pizza and The Lockport Stagecoach, with more to be announced soon. The Ivniks intend to maintain an ongoing group of five to six food partners in order to give their patrons a diverse menu selection.
The process is easy: guests simply use their phones to scan a QR code posted at the bar or at their table. That launches a web interface that allows them to browse the curated menus, select their food orders from as many different restaurants as desired and handle all the monetary details – all without having to interact with an employee or download a special app. The designated restaurants instantly receive and process the orders for delivery directly to the patrons’ specific seats back at Nik & Ivy.
“This arrangement allows us to focus on what we do best, like our ‘Wool Socks and Flip Flops’ Scottish-style ale, and leave the food part to some of our terrific neighbors who specialize in their respective cuisines,” said Paul Ivnik. “Plus, it eliminates all the physical menus from tables and confines touch interactions to guests’ own personal phones, which is something we’re all more cognizant of after the past year of safer dining.”
Here in the Chicago suburbs and across the United States, Porter is powering up a new digital era of food ordering and payment at multi-vendor venues such as breweries and food halls. Porter is an award-winning business transformation platform that fundamentally changes foodservice. By handling food and beverage ordering, table delivery/counter pick-up details, payment and tipping in a single smartphone transaction, the technology maximizes the guest experience and provides significant financial benefits to venue operators.
“Ordering food online is not unique, particularly in 2021 – but being able to place a single order and, for example, get a burger from one establishment and some barbecue from another is what sets Porter apart. It is the first mobile technology to manage orders and payments from multiple menus and multiple vendors in a single transaction,” said John Barry, co-founder and “Chief Porter” of the eponymous company.
For establishment patrons, the payoff is a convenient and diverse food experience that’s impossible to replicate in-house, increased safety due to elimination of waiting in lines and more quality social time with their friends and family at the table versus chasing down orders from lots of places. For operators like the Ivniks, Porter increases orders and revenue; in fact, in early trials of the technology in its home state of Oregon, business owners saw 20 percent increases in check size and 15 percent increases in tips.
“This is what the future of food ordering looks like,” Barry said. “Consumers today are accustomed to using their smart devices for all kinds of transactions wherever they go, and we want to provide them with the same level of sophistication when it comes to the dining experience at multi-vendor sites.”
Back at the brewery, the Ivniks simply say: “Sit back and enjoy a cold Dellwood IPA until the smoked pork sandwiches effortlessly arrive at your table.” Their modern virtual food hall is open for business.
About Porter
Developed by an all-star team of hospitality sector veterans, designers, entrepreneurs, and technologists, Porter is the first mobile technology to manage orders and payments from multiple menus and multiple vendors, seamlessly behind the scenes, in a single transaction. After introducing Porter to restaurants in its home state of Oregon, the company refined its focus and now targets venues that combine multiple food and retail vendors, such as hotels, food halls, sports stadiums and event venues. Porter Partners, LLC is based in Springfield, Ore., and is currently rolling out the platform in selected regions across the United States. For more information, visit heyporter.app.
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For More Information:
https://nikivybrewing.com/