NBCC students help with digital transformation of popular pizza shop
From the Springboard Content Lab and NBCC Newsroom
A busy pizza shop in the tourist town of St. Andrews, New Brunswick digitized and streamlined its retail operation thanks to a team of students from Springboard member New Brunswick Community College.
King Street Pizza incorporated digital menu boards and an updated point-of-sale (POS) system with the support of students in the NBCC Information and Communications Technologies Research Group.
The digital menu improves customer engagement by providing a clear and accessible tool for communicating their many menu options. It supports both French and English content and was implemented to be easily updated, including the option to incorporate additional languages.
The customizable POS system streamlines operations and helps King Street Pizza achieve their goal of excellent customer service.
“The Digital Menu Board project has been a game-changer for us at King Street Pizza. It has streamlined our operations, improved customer engagement, and enhanced the overall ordering experience. Partnering with NBCC provided invaluable technical support and innovative solutions that brought our vision to life.”
– Karl Savoie, Co-Owner, King Street Pizza, St. Andrews
Pizza shop motivated to improve customer service
King Street Pizza was already looking for ways to serve their diverse customers. They had expanded their menu to include vegan, keto, gluten-free, and bake-at-home options but wanted to do more.
Management knew that adopting new technological tools would streamline processes and enhance customer experience, but they were also aware that they lacked the technical skills to do it alone. To transform their systems, they would need expert guidance.
About the collaboration
NBCC researchers initiated this digital transformation by conducting a market survey of appropriate hardware and software options. This allowed King Street Pizza to make an informed choice about their desired upgrades.
After those decisions were made, researchers designed and created a custom digital menu and POS system. First, a survey of existing processes was conducted to determine optimal usage by staff and ensure a smooth transition between systems without loss of functionality.
Researchers assisted staff with the installation of the menu board and POS hardware. They also provided training in their use. The system was tested and refined to ensure the solutions met King Street Pizza’s needs.
Project Funder
This project was conducted with support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)’s College and Community Innovation (CCI) program.
NBCC received Mobilize grant funding to develop smart technologies to improve technological readiness, economic development, and quality of life in local communities.
The NBCC Information and Communication Technologies Research Group (ICTRG), based on the Fredericton campus, specializes in applied research and development in 5G mobile systems, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and mixed reality, as well as social impacts of technology, assistive technologies, and sustainability. Directed by Dr. William McIver, Jr., and supported by a team of five full-time researchers, ICTRG provides scientific and technical expertise to businesses and community partners. Since 2013, the group has made key software engineering and human-centred design contributions across various sectors, tackling a wide range of challenges from city parking solutions to agricultural technology.
NBCC is a member of the Springboard Network of 19 post-secondary institutions in Atlantic Canada. Our mission is to grow the economy through research, commercialization and industry/community engagement.