About
GFP Group operates a growing portfolio of restaurants in the Saratoga, California area, with five locations currently open and plans for additional expansion. With multiple concepts located within close proximity to one another, GFP Group also has a unique opportunity to connect guests across its restaurant’s portfolio when availability at one location is limited.
Challenge
For years, answering the phone had been a persistent operational challenge for GFP Group. The restaurants received a high volume of calls, but their existing approach relied heavily on hosts to monitor and return voicemails. Many of those hosts were people new to hospitality who were already balancing busy shifts with other responsibilities. Expecting them to spend the hour and a half before their shifts responding to every voicemail simply was not sustainable. As Mitchell Granados, Financial Controller of GFP Group explained, relying on them to respond to every voicemail "just wasn't a good solution."
The problem became impossible to ignore when a guest arrived at one of the restaurants frustrated after calling multiple locations four times without getting an answer. The incident reinforced a problem the team had experienced for years: guests were calling, but GFP Group did not always have the capacity to respond quickly enough. With a customer base that preferred calling over using online tools, missed calls could mean missed reservations and potentially lost guests. "How many reservations have we really missed out on by not acting a little sooner?" Granados asked.
The challenge was particularly significant because of the group's customer base. GFP Group operates in a community where many guests still prefer calling the restaurant rather than making reservations online. "This crowd is used to using the phone," Mitchell said. "And we were just not able to handle the amount of calls we were getting."
Solution
GFP Group implemented Slang across three of its restaurants to create an additional layer of coverage for incoming calls. Rather than relying entirely on hosts to respond to every call and voicemail, Slang gives guests another way to connect with the restaurant, make reservations, and get answers.
For Mitchell, one of the biggest benefits is that Slang provides coverage before staff even arrive for their shifts. Expecting staff to spend the hour and a half before their shifts responding to voicemails "just wasn't a good solution." With Slang in place, Mitchell said, "knowing that there's at least some sort of barrier that can help us before we get to work is super helpful."
The team has also embraced Slang's Smart Inbox, which organizes and summarizes voicemails so staff can quickly understand what each guest needs. Mitchell said he personally likes the Smart Inbox because it eliminates the need to spend an hour listening to individual voicemails. Instead, staff can quickly scan transcriptions and identify requests such as reservation inquiries and follow-ups.
Slang's cross-selling capabilities have created another opportunity for GFP Group. With three concepts located within walking distance of one another, guests who cannot find availability at one restaurant can be directed to another. As Mitchell explained, even getting "10 people in there a month" through cross-selling would be valuable because "those 10 people would have just went elsewhere."
Results
In the past 30 days, GFP Group's three Slang-enabled restaurants received more than 2,000 calls and generated more than 300 covers booked through Slang. Nearly 50% of incoming calls occur outside business hours, giving the restaurants coverage during times when staff are unavailable.
The volume has reinforced just how important the phone remains for GFP Group's guests. One of the group's restaurants, Hero Ranch Kitchen, receives an especially high volume of calls despite being a relatively small restaurant. Mitchell described the call volume as "pretty mind blowing," noting that the restaurant may have "one of the highest rates of calls per square foot,” in the area.
Slang has also given GFP Group an opportunity to capture demand that might previously have been lost. Before implementing the platform, Mitchell worried about how many guests had called, failed to reach anyone, and ultimately booked elsewhere. "At least we have a chance to hook them using Slang," he said.
The initial rollout has been successful enough that GFP Group plans to expand Slang to additional locations. The group expects to roll out the platform at another restaurant in the near term and plans to use it at its upcoming Santa Clara location as well. As Mitchell put it, the team is "definitely optimistic about using it" as GFP Group continues to grow.
