It is hard to believe it has been fifteen years since Waiter Wallet invented the restaurant server book and how time flies when you are having fun.
While the Waiter Wallet's patented design, unique to the industry, has stood the test of time, we've continued to enhance and expand the Original Waiter Wallet, ensuring its enduring quality and reliability. This commitment to excellence is a testament to our dedication to serving our most important asset, our valued customers.
While server functionality and organization served as the foundations of the Waiter Wallet, its most significant improvement was the expansion of our Clear Pocket System, a game-changer for waiters and waitresses. With the addition of the Waiter Wallet Clear Pocket Insert and our online restaurant cheat sheet software, servers could have multiple pieces of invaluable information at their fingertips. Not only do these improvements provide guests with elevated hospitality, but they also empower servers to know, sell, and earn more every shift.
Other improvements over the years, while seemingly subtle, collectively significantly impact how the Waiter Wallet and, by extension, waiters and waitresses function. Initially, the Waiter Wallet Pad was a simple, glue-bound order pad. Today, the Waiter Wallet Pad has been optimized and printed on both sides, allowing twice as many orders on the same size pad (and at the same price). Other enhancements include its robust staple-tape binding, perforated pages, and a double cardboard backing for smooth writing down to the last sheet.
With the introduction of the Deluxe version of the Waiter Wallet, our concept of the perfect server book was realized. In 2009, we were initially going to make the Waiter Wallet out of leather. At that time, not only would this have made the Waiter Wallet too expensive, but while beautiful, leather could be damaged by the ever-present restaurant spills. With stitched leather-like Durahyde, the Waiter Wallet Deluxe and Jr. Deluxe are beautiful and stand up to the riggers of restaurant life.
After COVID and its significant impact on the supply chain, we had to make tough choices. Given these challenges, we decided to consolidate our product line and produce only Deluxe and Jr. Deluxe versions. While manufacturing costs significantly increased, eliminating the less expensive version achieved higher economies of scale, so we could sell the Waiter Wallet Deluxe and Jr. Deluxe for roughly what the less expensive version would have been. And we could include the Waiter Wallet Clear Pocket Insert!
While COVID also exhilarated some restaurants' adoption of handheld POS systems, many have realized that any increase in efficiency is offset by a more significant decrease in guest engagement and hospitality. As Waiter Wallet has always contended, writing on a properly formatted order pad remains the most efficient and engaging method of taking a guest's order. Pete Wells, the New York Times restaurant critic, recently echoed our view in his article "I Reviewed Restaurants for 12 Years. They've Changed, and Not for the Better." Quite simply, restaurants are losing the human touch. But, for restaurants that still benefit from these handheld devices, we recently introduced an iPad Mini version of the Waiter Wallet.
Rest assured, the Waiter Wallet will continue evolving to provide the best possible tool to help even the best servers improve. Thank you to all our customers for fifteen amazing years! We couldn't or wouldn't want to do it without you. Your support and feedback are invaluable to us, and we are committed to continuously improving the Waiter Wallet to meet your needs and exceed your expectations.
