Goodfellas Addresses Labor Shortage and Back-of-the-House Visibility by Replacing Bookenda with Libro Reservation

Many fast-casual restaurants, including the Toronto-based Goodfellas Wood Oven Pizza chain, continue to be plagued by the ongoing labor shortage. Despite using Bookenda (now part of TouchBistro) to take online reservations, Goodfellas lacked key features that would benefit a busy restaurant short on manpower, including back-of-the-house reporting, ease of use, and automated guest communications. 

The decision to upgrade to Libro Reservations became essential. Not only did the Libro platform automate table assignments to optimize seating, but it also provided Goodfellas with two-way SMS technology. For the first time, reservation reminders were sent automatically via SMS allowing guests to confirm, modify, or even cancel.

“Libro has enabled us to communicate back and forth with guests quickly and easily, which frees up so much time. Automating this one task has allowed our hosts to stay focused on guest relations and help out with to-go orders or jump on the floor if needed.”

Rick Taddeo • President and Founder of Goodfellas

In addition to the operational efficiencies that come with automation, Libro gave Goodfellas the ability to reduce no-shows by requiring a credit card deposit and integrating with Reserve with Google to fill more tables. Running reports to track and analyze the number of reservation requests by day, week, and individual restaurant location became faster, simpler, and provided more visibility. 

According to Taddeo, the user-friendly Libro platform was easy to learn and navigate. More importantly, Libro has a clear roadmap dedicated to elevating online reservations, developing new table management features, and continuously improving guest engagement. 

“Technology is always evolving, and I was impressed with the long-term plans Libro has in place to address our future needs,” says Taddeo. “Unlike other reservation solutions, Libro is fully dedicated to investing in new features and introducing new functionality that is easy to use.”

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About Goodfellas
Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Goodfellas specializes in authentic Neapolitan-style wood oven pizza and rustic Italian dishes. Established in 2013, the fast-casual restaurant chain currently operates seven locations throughout Greater Toronto. For more information or to make a reservation, visit www.goodfellaspizza.ca.

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