CHEESESTEAK IN THE GOLDEN STATE
See How Figueroa Philly brings East Coast Flavor to California With Orderly
“When you get caught up in running a restaurant, you have blinders on. [Orderly] really gives you a full picture of your restaurant.”
Danny Hizami, Owner – Figueroa Philly
After numerous visits to the East Coast, Danny Hizami wanted to bring one of the region’s most famous dishes to Southern California. But when he wasn’t making money like he knew he could, he turned to Orderly for help.
The Problem
Born and raised in Studio City, California, Danny has always been around the food business. After college, he constantly found himself visiting friends on the East Coast, where he fell deeply in love with the ever-famous cheesesteak. Eventually, he decided to take the sandwich he loved and share it with the West Coast – so Figueroa Philly was born.
As his business grew, Danny quickly realized he wasn’t so great with his numbers. He tends to think big picture, not down in the details. “And when you’re running a business, you can’t be that way,” he says. He was making money, but not in the way that he needed to in order to thrive.
Why Orderly?
Before Orderly, Danny didn’t even have spreadsheets – he would just order what he needed when he needed it. He needed a software solution that could deal with the details that he hated to manage.
Immediately, Danny saw that Orderly could help him lower his food costs and make his business grow. It’s kept him “focused on what [he] needs to do to ensure [his] food costs aren’t going up.”
Danny’s life has also changed in many other ways as he uses Orderly’s various features:
- He automatically gets his food costs without taking an inventory count
- Orderly helps him set a solid budget to order against
- He can compare prices on ingredients amongst his suppliers, keeping prices low
- He avoids over-ordering on ingredients, saving hundreds per order
- He’s lowered his COGS from 45% to 40%
As he puts it, “What I love about Orderly is it really gives me an idea of what I’m spending and where I’m spending too much.”
A Cheesy Situation
Danny had been ordering American white cheese from the same supplier for years. He’d order thin slices at 160ct, and would place 3 on each of his steaks. However, another supplier (with a history of higher-quality meats and cheeses), came to him and offered heartier slices at 120ct.
Danny worked with Nancy, his Orderly Customer Success Manager, and together they were able
to determine that by putting only 2 slices of this new, better-quality cheese on his steaks, he wasn’t sacrificing any money or flavor.
So today, he’s got a better product for the same exact price.
The best thing about Orderly? It makes you more aware of what's going on.