This weekend I went down to Pittsburgh with a group of friends. We made went to the Hofbräuhaus on the south side of the city. Hofbräuhaus originated in Munich, Germany and has made its way to the states. It is very famous for its amazing food and tasty beer. It was very busy that Saturday night and we could tell that it could be a while before we got to eat.
Upon arrival, the hostess asked how many we had in our party and started typing on an iPad. I got suspicious and looked on the screen. Sure enough, they used NoWait. We were told that it would be about an hour and a half before we were seated and my friend gave the hostess her phone number. She immediately received a text regarding the wait and a link to the app.
We walked around a few stores and were able to check the number of parties that were before us on the app. It also told us the estimated wait time whenever we checked it. In no more than an hour, we were notified when our table was ready. This was an example of under-promising and then exceeding our expectations. We were prepared to wait an hour and a half so we were ecstatic when the table was ready in an hour.
We had a great experience with the NoWait system and it was cool for me to see everything that Evan has been talking about in class. Also, if you ever are in Pittsburgh and don’t know where to eat, the Hofbräuhaus does not disappoint.
Wow, I’m glad NoWait lived up to everything Evan has been telling us about it. I think it’s a fantastic idea and I’m glad more restaurants are adopting it. If I’m ever in Pittsburgh looking for a place to eat I’ll be sure to check out the Hofbräuhaus house. 🙂
That’s awesome that you guys got to actually use the app and it met the expectations. I think the underselling and then exceeding expectations strategy is great. I think that’s an important lesson for any business. Set yourself up for success not failure.
Great blog post! I’ve never seen NoWait actually used, so its neat to hear about something we’ve discussed in theoretical terms being used in the real world! Were you able to ask the hostess about their experience with NoWait? Also, did you use the consumer NoWait app?
Great post! Glad to see NoWait lived up to your expectations. Really is a great idea and what an experience for us to talk to one it’s key employees. Thanks for sharing your experience.
It’s so cool that you got to have this experience after we have learned so much about NoWait from Evan. I personally have really enjoyed getting to learn more about NoWait.
I have wanted to go to a restaurant that uses NoWait so I could see how it really works. I’m glad you got to see it in person and can attest to the app. Maybe we should take a class field trip…
As my fellow classmates have been saying, how cool that you were able to try this Pete! I too have been wanting to go to a restaurant that uses NoWait services. I think what you said about underpromising and exceeding your expectation is spot on. You weren’t expecting the NoWait experience so it allowed you to have a positive experience when normally a hour and half wait for a restaurant is miserable.
NoWait is an excellent service, and I’m glad this experience went so well for you! It’s awesome to see Grovers get into the world and do great things, especially when those things impact the masses!