Mala Sichuan Bistro's Transformation with Chowbus POS to Maximize Efficiency and Improve Delivery

In September 2022, Mala Sichuan Bistro opened its newest location in Houston, which marks the fifth location of the widely popular Chinese restaurant, originally opened by husband-and-wife team Cori Xiong and Heng Chen in 2011. Mala's name comes from the combination of Chinese words "ma" meaning "numbing" and "la" meaning spicy, which is a direct reflection of its fiery menu. The incorporation of Sichuan peppercorns and red chiles in many of the traditional dishes have often resulted in sweat-inducing moments—and Houstonians can't seem to get enough.

Due to the continuous rise in food and labor costs, Mala Sichuan Bistro’s owner Cori has been searching for an efficient POS solution to help save costs and improve operational efficiency. Cori tried various POS products, including KwickPOS and Menusifu, but ultimately decided to choose Chowbus POS. The restaurant implemented Chowbus's POS Handheld, Third-party Delivery Integrations, and Kiosk, successfully empowering their in-house dining, efficient self-ordering, and delivery operations, taking their restaurant's operations to new heights.

“I really love Chowbus's handheld iPad. Our staff can take orders and process payments for customers right at the table, without any additional time and effort,” Cori said. “Simply selecting the dishes on the iPad, the order is instantly sent to the kitchen, avoiding any ordering mistakes. Chowbus's card swipe speed is very fast, which I am very satisfied with. Since using Chowbus, our table turnover rate has increased by nearly 30%, and this simplified payment method is also highly appreciated by our customers.”

The Third-party Delivery Integrations has also received high praise from Cori and Heng. During the pandemic, Mala Sichuan Bistro was receiving around 100 orders per day from Uber Eats alone, and when combined with other delivery platforms, they were handling one to two hundred delivery orders every day. Managing such a large volume of orders was causing significant challenges for them.

After careful consideration, Cori made the decision to use Chowbus's Third-party Delivery Integrations system, which directly connects all the delivery platform orders to the POS ordering system, allowing for unified management of menus, business hours, item prices, and revenue. Cori states, “The delivery integration has saved us from the expenses of multiple platform devices and significantly improved our operational efficiency. It has eliminated order loss and delays, and we no longer worry about delivery orders.”

Cori highly values Chowbus' exceptional 24/7 onsite customer service alongside innovative POS solutions. "Chowbus's 24/7 client service sets them apart from other POS providers. No matter the time, their knowledgeable and friendly support team is just a call away. They have gone above and beyond to resolve any problems we've encountered, ensuring that our POS system operates seamlessly throughout the day."