Antwerp Boulevard

Kelly's Irish Pub, Duke of Antwerp, Salon Duke of Antwerp, Bier Central Antwerpen and recently also Bier Central Gent. They are all restaurant businesses from Antwerp Boulevard, led by Peter De Clerck. The company has been thriving and growing for decades and has been using Trivec's automated cash register system for many years now.

About 15 years ago I decided to switch to the automated POS system. I always follow innovations in the hospitality industry closely and I had already heard about the extensive range of Trivec, says Peter

Controlled dosages

Since then, the Trivec POS and bar automation systems have been indispensable in all of Peter’s hospitality businesses. He thinks the control is the biggest advantage.

Every bar has its own automatic tap installation with tap heads and a liquor dispensing system, perfect for controlled dosages of wine and spirits. In addition, I get daily transaction reports, even from the coffee machines.

Peter also finds the beer taps in his brand new specialty beer shop in Ghent very convenient. “Our bar has 33 taps. Of course you want your beers to have that perfect layer of foam, but you also want to be able to work fast and efficiently. The flowmeter measures the amount of beer that passes through the pipe. Is there foam in the pipe? Then it blocks the system as well. No more hassle every time your barrel is empty.”

Fast payback

We have an annual turnover of around 7 million euros net. Even if we only saved 1 % thanks to the automation, it would still be more than 70,000 euros a year.

A coffee that hasn’t been paid for will after all cost you a lot more than the price that the customer should have paid. You have bought the products, used the tableware, paid the staff, etc.

“I understand that, as a starting business, you might not always have the budget right away. Then I would recommend purchasing a base model from Trivec, so you can expand later. It makes your life a lot easier and you will earn your money back in one-two-three days. ”

Quick service

Peter is also very satisfied with the customer service of Trivec. “Years ago the server crashed after a short circuit on a Saturday evening. I called Trivec. Fortunately we could continue working because every part functions autonomously. The installer brought all the spare parts and after 2 to 3 hours everything was fixed. We also regularly send employees on-site for educational purposes. They then get a practical explanation, specifically about the functionality of some of our installations and how they work. ”

What does the future hold? “In Belgium it’s not really a trend yet, but I’m considering setting up some kind of kiosk in places where not much staff is passing. Then the customers can choose themselves what they would like and then we will bring it to them. In that way they will get much quicker service.”

Automatic stock count

“We might also invest in a virtual stock. This way, the stock count is done automatically and the brewer will see it right away. We then receive an order proposal and all that’s left to do is to accept it. This is, especially in Ghent – a standalone – something that’s very convenient. Then I don’t have to send over the facility manager all the time to count everything. Another way of saving time and money!”