Case Studies
So Heavenly Swaps Phone Orders for Pre-Order & Catering, Grows Revenue by 27%
How one Miami catering operation launched a website and online ordering store that customers and the back-of-house love.
- Cuisine type:
- Kosher (International)
- Locations:
- 1
- Founded:
- 2014
- City:
- North Miami, FL
Products Used:
On Friday afternoons, while most restaurants are gearing up for the weekend rush, catering company So Heavenly is already in the busiest stretch of their week. Since 2014, the company has specialized in shabbat dinners for South Florida’s diverse clientele, combining Jewish and Latin American foods into “a delightful, versatile menu, where variety is always at the forefront.” Think challah and empanadas in the same (kosher-certified) spread.
For its first few years, So Heavenly grew by word of mouth. They tried to design and launch websites a few times, but nothing stuck. Then the pandemic hit. Overnight, having a commerce-ready website became essential.
“I was seeing other local businesses selling online, and I knew we needed to do it too,” said founder & owner Susie Lustgarten. “UberEats didn’t work for us, because we don’t have a chef working here all day long. I asked around for what other people were using. Our designer recommended BentoBox.”
7
Weeks from signup to revenue
+27%
Catering revenue, July ‘20 vs. July ‘22
+20%
Average order value, July ‘20 vs. July ‘22
Within two months of reaching out, So Heavenly was up and running with a website and Pre-Order & Catering store. In the first six months, they accepted and fulfilled more than 1,000 orders.
Right away, customers loved BentoBox’s Pre-Order & Catering.
“A lot of people told me, ‘Susie, it’s so beautiful, it’s so easy! We don’t have to talk to anybody or give our credit card over the phone.’ Everything is self-explanatory with how each item is packed and how many it feeds.”
On the operator side, BentoBox helped So Heavenly streamline their operations.
“I look at the website pre-sells and am able to predict how much we need to produce for that week. And then when we run out, I block out items to keep people from ordering more than I have. Maybe I’ve already produced all the challah I can produce in a week: The website shows what we have and what we don’t.”
Most importantly, routing business through their direct, online channel is helping So Heavenly take care of their customers better than ever.
“It has saved me hours and hours a week. I can see the difference especially during the busy season and holidays. It’s so much easier not having to take orders by phone. Every time somebody calls to give me an order, I just tell them to go to the website. It’s hard to read a full menu on the phone. Beautiful, tempting pictures make a huge impact!”
For this busy, family-operated business, BentoBox helped them get off the phone and back to innovating new surprises for their diverse — and loyal — customers.
“BentoBox has definitely made my life easier. And it makes my company look better. We are small, and we have a small storefront, but on our website we can show so much more.”
This diverse menu combines traditional Jewish and Latin American foods, in dishes like their classic guava challah.
A full section on So Heavenly’s home page prompts visitors to visit the catering ordering page.
So Heavenly easily customizes their Schedule Pickup window to include language about upcoming holidays.
Pre-packaged foods and products represent high-margin, predictable revenue — and a great opportunity for branding.
Every time somebody calls to give me an order, I just tell them to go to the website. It has saved me hours and hours a week, especially during the busy season.
Susie Lustgarten
Founder & Owner
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