Kitchen Automation Solution Comes to Skyline Chili

By the middle of 2010, all thirty-seven corporate Skyline Chili locations will complete the implementation of QSR's ConnectSmart kitchen solution along with PCMS' Vision BeanStore point-of-sale system. Skyline will also be offering full support for the combined solution to its nearly one-hundred franchise locations, including installation assistance as well as restaurant level help desk and ongoing system management services.

Skyline Chili is relying on QSR's ConnectSmart Hospitality Automation Solution, including the ConnectSmart Kitchen (CSK) graphical software along with eXpert hospitality controllers and KP-4000 keypads. To ensure clean, trouble-free installations, Skyline is also using QSR's cost-effective kitchen video bracketing system.

"Because the Skyline experience is a perfect combination of table service and quick service, our operating requirements are extremely unique — and we must depend on a solution that is exceptionally flexible and can be customized to meet our needs, today and in the future," says Brett Clark, chief financial officer for Skyline Chili. "With our PCMS point-of-sale system and QSR's kitchen management technology, we have greatly simplified our ordering and production processes for our in-store team members, and we are noticeably enhancing our guest service through improved speed and accuracy."

The robust routing options available with QSR's CSK are paramount to ensure orders are prepared and presented appropriately and efficiently for each guest. With Skyline's customized CSK configuration, drive-thru and carryout orders are prepared and packaged at one kitchen monitor at one end of the open kitchen, while dine-in orders are prepared and plated at the other end. The CSK also captures all speed of service timing data, making this critical information available in real-time on each kitchen monitor as well as for historical reporting and analysis.

Custom ordering
Skyline's guests are also accustomed to ordering their Skyline dishes in their own unique way, even developing their own language — such as a 3-Way-Inverted, where the cheese goes on the plate first, then the chili, then the spaghetti. QSR's CSK not only presents the items at the correct kitchen monitor along with all necessary modifiers, but also ensures correct packaging or plating of the items.

"We are extremely pleased with the high quality and rich features of QSR's kitchen solution, and we specifically selected QSR's ConnectSmart to provide for our future," adds Clark. "To help keep our products unique, we hope to enhance our training initiatives by adding graphical menu cards and multi-media video at our kitchen stations for fully demonstrating procedures and assembly instructions."