As the steward of the world's largest wine club membership, Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants balances traditional hospitality with modern tech solutions. With 60+ locations, Cooper’s Hawk is a unique take on wine club membership with on-site full-service restaurants, a tasting room, and retail, all under the same roof.
Susan Lucas, CIO of Cooper's Hawk, joined Crunchtime’s 2024 Ops Summit to share valuable insights into how the company is approaching its digital transformation by leveraging technology to enhance operations and customer experience.
Transformative Technology Initiatives
Under Lucas’ leadership, Cooper’s Hawk embarked on several significant technology projects, including implementing Crunchtime for Inventory Management while simultaneously upgrading its POS system from an on-premise to a cloud-based solution. This ambitious transformation included a comprehensive menu database overhaul, creating a robust foundation for future innovations. Additionally, the company strategically reintroduced delivery services, adapting to evolving customer preferences while maintaining its premium service standards.
Data-Driven Decision Making
A sophisticated approach to data analytics is at the heart of Cooper’s Hawk technology strategy. Lucas emphasized the importance of democratizing data access across the organization, enabling team members to make informed decisions independently. One very important source for this data is the company's wine club membership. The club database provides a rich source of customer insights, which are leveraged through analytical modeling to understand member behavior, predict trends, and enhance the overall customer experience.
Strategic Implementation of AI
While many restaurants are racing to implement artificial intelligence solutions, Cooper's Hawk takes a measured approach. Under Lucas' guidance, the company focuses on applying AI primarily to back-of-house operations and analytical modeling. This strategy allows the brand to maintain its high-touch, experience-based concept while improving operational efficiency. The emphasis remains on using technology to enhance, rather than replace, human interactions, particularly in guest-facing situations.
Key Takeaways
- Technology transformation requires careful change management and user adoption strategies
- Successful data strategy focuses on empowering users across the organization with self-service capabilities
- Strategic implementation of AI in back-of-house operations maintains focus on human-centered hospitality
Looking Ahead
Under Lucas' leadership, Cooper's Hawk demonstrates how a traditional hospitality business can successfully embrace digital transformation while maintaining its core values. Its thoughtful approach to technology implementation, focused on enhancing rather than replacing human interactions, sets a valuable example for the restaurant industry. As the brand continues to evolve its technical capabilities, its commitment to balancing innovation with guest experience remains paramount to its success.
To learn more about the full session, click here.
