St. Louis operation uses new dining platform technology to compete

Executive Dining in St. Louis, MO, is no stranger to change. Formed in 2001 as the corporate foodservice division of Chiles Foodservice, Executive Dining was created in order to meet the growing needs for restaurant-quality food in the work and office environment.

Nearly two decades later, in 2019, owner Greg Chiles opened Executive Dining Express to meet the needs of office and industry environments to offer the benefit of fresh food, beverages and snacks 24 hours per day. As part of the planning stages for the opening of Executive Dining Express, Chiles opened 25 micro markets in Missouri and Illinois with 365 Retail Markets. 

In 2020, Executive Dining began deploying 365Dining technology for its efficiency and compatibility with the Executive Dining Express Market Kiosks. “At that time, we began implementing the self-checkout option, which our customers adopted quickly,” said Executive Dining Express district manager David Porter. “The user-friendly format and software speed helps move customers through the pay stations efficiently.” 

The new dining platform 365Dining has given Executive Dining customers the ability to order ahead, to purchase fresh foods 24/7, and to have a self-check-out functionality. Meanwhile, it has helped the company compete in a highly competitive industry. 

Technology that makes an impact 

One benefit that 365Dining technology has provided Executive Dining is the opportunity for the company to bridge its expertise in fresh-made food with 24/7 customer accessibility in the markets. “We are no longer limited to serving chef-driven food from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.,” Porter said. 

The order-ahead option has also let enabled customers to order and pay from their desk or any other onsite location. “After ordering, customers can choose rapid pick up at the café or have their food delivered onsite,” he said. 

This has helped improve the company’s speed of service, while simultaneously reducing staff and increasing sales. 365Dining’s order-ahead system has allowed Executive Dining to continue to serve its customers safely during the pandemic. Porter says that 365Dining also enables the company to engage with customers through the app to send notifications of promotions, deals and customized loyalty rewards.  

Although the café business has slowed with most office employees working from home during the pandemic, Executive Dining Express has been growing at record rates, says Porter, “because our customers are looking for options to provide quality fresh food to their employees that are on site during this time.”  

Alex Koritz, senior director of micro market operations at Executive Dining Express, noted that with the diverse technology provided by 365, Executive Dining and Executive Dining Express have the tools necessary to offer our clients a variety of fresh food, beverages and snack options, allowing Executive Dining Express to compete in a highly competitive industry and continue to provide exceptional service. 

“From a single micro market to a full-service café, we can offer fresh restaurant quality food 24/7, catering, order ahead, pay by phone and self-service checkout to all our clients," he said. "From companies with as few as 75 employees to businesses with thousands we have the solutions to meet their needs. Additionally, as a versatile dining point-of-sale system, 365Dining can transition a space from cashier to self-service mode with the push of a button. 

Last year showed that touchless transactions, self-service and order-ahead options are customer requirements going forward, and 365Dining technology gives operators that chance to transform cafés in response.