Davanni’s, a Minnesota-based pizza and hoagie chain with over 50 years of operation, needed more than just a modern POS system—they needed a fully integrated, customizable platform that could scale with them and power every part of their operation. In 2015, they found exactly that in FoodTec.
At the time, Davanni’s had 21 stores and was running Aloha, a system that created friction between online ordering and in-store operations. “Sometimes online ordering would seem to be working,” says Rob Williams, I.T. Director and Financial Controller, “but the orders weren’t flowing to the point of sale.”
“We were looking for something more modern, directly integrated, and with less potential for downtime. That’s when we found FoodTec.”
A Lightning-Fast Rollout
Implementing a new POS across 21 locations is no small task, but Rob and his team rolled out FoodTec in less than a year. “It was a relatively easy transition. Your team was great to work with, and we got excellent training. We had a system down pretty quickly—eventually doing a new store every other week.”
Online Ordering That Just Works
FoodTec’s Online Ordering platform has helped Davanni’s shift 70% of their delivery orders online. Prior to switching, only 20% of delivery was online—and just 10% of total revenue. “Now, about 50% of all our revenue comes in online. The platform is so robust and seamless. Without that, we’d have lost business as more customers started preferring to order online.”
Delivery Monitoring That Changed the Game
At first, Davanni’s wasn’t sure they could get their drivers to use Delivery Monitoring (Delivery IQ). That changed fast. “If I switched to a system without driver tracking now, my managers would lose it.” Being able to see exactly where drivers are on a live map has become critical to managing store operations. “It’s one of the things that still makes FoodTec unique. Not everyone offers that—and those that do, it’s nowhere near what you guys do.”
Inventory Optimization That Cuts Costs
For Rob, Inventory Optimization made an immediate financial impact. “We dropped our theoretical variance by about 1.5% at every store. Food cost management has gotten so much better.” Before FoodTec, Davanni’s had to export data manually and run their own software to calculate theoretical food costs. Now, it’s all live and built in.
Employee Management That Simplifies Payroll
When Davanni’s integrated with FoodTec, a custom payroll processing system was already in place. The good news? Employee Management and scheduling tools made integration seamless. “We’ve automated basically all of the payroll and bookkeeping processes. The longest part of the shift reconciliation now is just counting the cash.”
“We used to forecast sales manually. FoodTec’s system is incredibly accurate—and it saves time.”
One Platform. No Third Parties.
Before FoodTec, Rob had to juggle multiple vendors to manage gift cards, loyalty programs, and their mobile app. With FoodTec, everything is handled in-house—making operations smoother and reducing the risk of things breaking between disconnected systems. “We don’t have to deal with third parties for loyalty, gift cards, or our smartphone app. That’s unique, and we really like it.” This fully integrated approach simplifies everything from marketing to reporting—and gives Davanni’s total control over the customer experience.
A True Technology Partner
“You guys never say no. You always say, ‘We’ll look into it.’ And more often than not, that feature gets added quickly.” “When we report a bug, it’s usually identified within a day or two—and fixed within a week. That’s unheard of.” FoodTec’s willingness to collaborate has helped Davanni’s refine its processes, from scheduling to online ordering flows to complex WordPress integrations.
FoodTec’s Digital Solutions Compete with the Big Chains
Thanks to FoodTec’s flexible solution, Davanni’s now offers features on their website that rival national chains. “Customers can reorder favorites from our website and be passed straight into the POS system. That kind of seamless experience—only the big national chains do that.” “It speaks to how great your software engineers are. Without that relationship, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to try it.”
In Rob’s Words: Why FoodTec?
“I still have not found anybody who does everything that you guys do in one package.” “We’ve been with you guys for 11 years, and we’re still really happy with the platform.”
From better order accuracy and food cost savings to real-time performance reporting and API-driven marketing tools, FoodTec has become the operational backbone of Davanni’s—and a true partner in their long-term success.
Is your restaurant ready to streamline operations, delight customers, and grow with confidence?