SoBol’s POS-Integrated Online Ordering Platform Is Providing Franchisees With New Levels of Success

In the ever-changing fast-casual restaurant space, SoBol has carved out a promising niche for itself within the segment. Since its founding in 2014, the açaí bowl concept has been at the forefront of the acai craze and experienced steady growth as a result of a successful business model, healthy, relevant and high-quality offerings and exceptional franchisee support.

Now, after rolling out a brand new POS-integrated online ordering system two months ago, SoBol is experiencing groundbreaking levels of success. With online ordering more popular than ever, the açaí bowl franchise is making sure to stay ahead of the curve.

“The online ordering portion of SoBol has been in the works for many months,” said Director of Franchise Operations Paul Gucciardo. “Franchisees and consumers alike have been asking for a streamlined, POS-integrated online ordering system at SoBol for a long time. We knew that the right delivery and pick-up platform could provide an essential piece of the SoBol puzzle.”

Online ordering growth

According to Gucciardo, since the platform has been available, not only has online ordering gained more traction, but the average ticket sales are 15 to 20% higher.

“At SoBol, we drive to give you the best product, with the best customer service at the most competitive price,” said Marketing Manager Nick Pesko. “By bringing together various restaurant operations, our new online ordering platform is designed to ensure that SoBol franchisees are better able to manage staff, access more intelligent business insights and increase restaurant efficiencies.”

In response to the massive popularity of third-party delivery aggregators, SoBol is taking the offering one step further, providing franchisees with a POS-integrated system to ensure that they are optimally positioned for success.

POS integration benefits

“By building the online ordering piece directly into our website, franchisees are able to align all of the systems and platforms that facilitate the payments-side of a business,” said Gucciardo. “The POS-integrated online ordering allows for more streamlined operations, a reduction in human error, higher report visibility and lower operational costs.”

POS integration can have a tremendous impact on a company’s bottom line, especially with the rising popularity of online ordering.

While SoBol’s primarily frozen menu caused travel concerns for the franchisor at first, Gucciardo says that the brand knew it was an essential step forward to ensure that the brand’s delivery revenue was not going to another company. The new system includes in-store pick up as well as third-party delivery.

Future innovations

“For a progressive and emerging brand like SoBol, online ordering is no longer a luxury,” said Gucciardo. “We took the extra time needed to build the most efficient and lucrative system and the results are speaking for themselves as the average online order ticket was recently 52% higher than in-store tickets.”

According to Gucciardo, SoBol is also developing future innovations, including a catering service. “As we look to the future, we plan on utilizing newer third party services on the catering end to enter the completely new arena of catering,” he said. “Traditionally, catering is primarily used for deli-style and hot foods, but we hope to provide an alternative for parties looking to cater to healthier options.”

As demand for the product reaches an all-time high, SoBol is in a great position to reach new customers and franchisees. Through SoBol’s commitment to quality, its new delivery platform and an emphasis on exceptional customer service, the brand is set to capitalize on its momentum and tap into a previously unrealized growth potential.