Coastal Grounds Cafe · Hospitality
From Sticky Notes to a Streamlined Ordering System
“We went from losing orders on sticky notes to having everything in one place. Our regulars actually noticed the difference.”
The Challenge
Coastal Grounds is a busy neighbourhood cafe with a loyal following. During peak morning and lunch rushes, the team relied on handwritten tickets and a shared notepad to manage dine-in, takeaway, and phone orders simultaneously.
Orders got lost. Modifications were missed. Staff spent more time clarifying than serving. The owner knew the system was costing them — but every "solution" she'd been quoted felt over-engineered for a 12-seat cafe.
Our Approach
We started with a conversation — not a feature list. Through the Bridge, we identified three core pain points: order accuracy, speed during rush periods, and visibility into what's been fulfilled.
Rather than building a full POS replacement, we designed a lightweight web app that slots into how the team already works. Staff enter orders on a shared tablet, the kitchen sees a live queue, and completed orders clear automatically.
We kept the scope intentionally small: no inventory management, no customer accounts, no loyalty integrations. Just the ordering flow, done well.
Technology Used
- Next.js for the web app — fast, responsive, works on any device
- Real-time updates via server-sent events — kitchen display stays current without refreshing
- PostgreSQL for order data — reliable, simple, no vendor lock-in
- Mobile-first design — staff use it on a mounted tablet, owner checks from her phone
Timeline
- Week 1-2: Discovery and design — mapped the ordering flow, identified edge cases (split bills, modifications, phone orders)
- Week 3-4: Core build — order entry, kitchen queue, completion flow
- Week 5: Testing with real orders during quiet periods, staff training
- Week 6: Full deployment, one week of shadowed support
The Results
After six weeks of use:
- 72% fewer order errors — no more lost sticky notes or misread handwriting
- 3x faster peak-hour processing — orders flow from counter to kitchen instantly
- Staff confidence up — new hires learn the system in under 10 minutes
- Owner visibility — she can see order volume and patterns from anywhere
The cafe didn't need an enterprise system. They needed something that works the way they do — just without the sticky notes.
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