In 2008, four sisters – Anh, Kelly, Jenny and Julie Nguyen – took a leap of faith and opened Bambū Dessert Drinks, a Vietnamese dessert drink shop, in San Jose, California. Nestled in the heart of the Vietnamese community, Bambū Dessert Drinks’s fresh, healthy, and authentic drinks, teas, coffees, and smoothies captured the attention of the neighborhood, eventually expanding to over 60 locations located in 24 states, Canada, and the Philippines.
Bambū Dessert Drinks’s chè dessert drinks in particular are what help the business stand apart from competitors. In fact, the shop has over 13 different kinds of chè, which is a Vietnamese word for traditional homemade beverages, dessert drinks, and puddings. The menu also boasts four different categories of teas, two categories of smoothies, a variety of coffees and refreshers, amounting to over 95 different types of drinks, and more than 45,000 coconuts cut each year.
With a robust menu, a growing fleet of locations, and a deeply customer-centric approach, Bambū Dessert Drinks needed a technology partner that could help the business plug operational gaps, centralize control and data visibility, and integrate with third-party partners. After a focused search, Bambū Dessert Drinks ultimately chose Square as its technology partner to help drive the business forward.
The challenge: Lack of control and poor integration
Bambū Dessert Drinks’s previous point-of-sale system lacked several modern features, slowly processed payments, and was unable to seamlessly work together with its third-party loyalty system, essentially being touted as being in the “Stone Age.”
Another challenge for the business was the lack of centralized control. With over 60 locations, Bambū Dessert Drinks needed a system that allowed it to centrally dictate menu changes, pricing, and loyalty programs. This lack of control ultimately impacted its ability to pull regular, comprehensive statements to help the team understand sales data, trends, performance, and more.
In its quest for centralization, Bambū Dessert Drinks also craved a system that could integrate everything from a loyalty program to staff scheduling all under one umbrella. This desire for deep integration also meant the business wanted easier connection points with third-party partners including Uber Eats and DoorDash.
The solution: A centralized offering built for franchises
Square gives Bambū Dessert Drinks a comprehensive solution that enables control, speed, and flexible integration. With an investment in a suite of tools including Square Register, Square Kitchen Display System (KDS), Square Loyalty, and Square for Franchises, the business can create a seamless experience across locations for staff and customers alike.
We chose Square because their platform offers the centralized control we need while making it simple for individual locations to execute. With Square’s franchise solution, we can update menus, adjust pricing, and roll out new items across all locations instantly, ensuring our customers get the same high-quality Bambū experience wherever they visit – and we can easily onboard new locations as we continue to expand.”
Grant Bachman → COO of Bambu Franchising LLC
Beyond menu control, Square for Franchises simplifies Bambū Dessert Drinks’s ability to remain PCI-compliant at each shop, analyze business health across locations, and establish a rewards program that customers can use at any of its 60+ stores. “With new franchise locations opening almost every month, we needed a technology partner that could keep pace with our growth while ensuring consistent quality across all locations,” said Bachman.
Because quality is everything for Bambū, the Square KDS enables the business to seamlessly sync orders between the front and back-of-house, enabling precise order preparation “just the way you love it,” a reflection of the chosen slogan at Bambū. With a system that’s tailored to the Bambū kitchen, staff can boost order accuracy and speed, creating an ideal experience for customers from beginning to end.
The impact: Thousands of dollars saved
With a technology partner with a built-in, transparent loyalty solution, Bambū is expected to save thousands of dollars annually and gain peace of mind. In addition to saving money, Square Loyalty is also able to help the business build deeper customer relationships through customer profiles and customer data that can help the business connect with and say thank you to regulars in new and personalized ways.
When the Bambū team isn’t tracking customer trends, the team can track business trends through centralized data, helping to implement better data-driven decision-making. With several franchises in the works, Bachman can use prior learnings and experience, alongside key data insights, to strengthen the outcomes and impact of new locations, ultimately setting the business up for even longer-term success.
