Executive Summary
Hops n Drops, an innovative restaurant group with 22 locations, has used Back Office from its inception to scale the company and empower General Managers (GMs) through a streamlined, efficient operational structure. CEO Kevin Eggen credits Hops n Drops’ success to the Back Office POS integration, which has allowed the company to automate key processes and scale without compromising on quality standards or operational culture. As a result, Hops n Drops achieved remarkable time savings, stronger GM engagement, and a lean yet effective corporate structure — all while setting the foundation for sustainable growth.
The Problem
Kevin Eggen worked his way up the ranks at Hops n Drops, rising from busser to CEO. With his unique inside look at company operations, he realized that the small corporate team responsible for overseeing all company locations would face several key challenges as they continued to scale. With no centralized payroll or AP team at the corporate level, GMs managed all day-to-day operations and significant administrative responsibilities.
However, keeping those processes under the purview of GMs was critical to the vision of Hops n Drops. Kevin needed a solution that would allow the company to continue growing while fostering a culture of ownership at the individual restaurant level. To accomplish this, streamlining operational processes and minimizing administrative requirements for GMs would be key.
The Solution
Back Office provided Hops n Drops with a comprehensive management platform that eliminated much of the manual calculation required of GMs while empowering them with the data, tools, and visibility necessary to take ownership of their assigned locations.
With the Back Office integration, many core operational processes, such as payroll, inventory, and scheduling, were automated, freeing up GMs to focus on their main responsibility: delivering exceptional customer experiences. By automating these key processes, Hops n Drops achieved time savings of up to 30% for GMs. Additionally, the platform gave GMs real-time data and insights, allowing them to make informed decisions about their locations. This capability encouraged a culture of ownership and minimized the amount of corporate oversight required to operate at scale.
Results
Since implementing Back Office, Hops n Drops has experienced significant benefits:
- Scalable Growth: The company expanded to 22 locations while maintaining a lean corporate structure of 13 support team members.
- Increased GM Engagement: GMs act as business owners, leading to stronger financial and cultural performance.
- Operational Time Savings: Inventory and accounts payable processes at the restaurant level now take less than three hours per week, with payroll processing completed in only 15 minutes.
“Our POS data syncs directly into Back Office. It’s a smooth process. Payroll verification takes minutes because all the systems work together so well.”
– Kevin Eggen, CEO
In evaluating the impact of the Back Office solution on their operations, Hops n Drops CEO Kevin Eggen concludes, “The technology has allowed us to stay small as we grow big. Our corporate team is lean, so we’re in the restaurants more, ensuring culture and standards remain high.”
Back Office has been instrumental in facilitating Hops n Drops’ scalable growth while maintaining operational autonomy and a lean corporate structure. By empowering GMs and providing them with the necessary tools and data, Back Office has fostered a culture of ownership and accountability, improving financial and operational performance across all locations.
About Hops n Drops
HopsnDrops, “A Neighborhood Gathering Place,” was created as a safe, fun place for neighbors to meet neighbors and friends to gather with friends. On any given night the neighborhood block party is happening at HopsnDrops!! The Hops n Drops design and menu were built to reflect an atmosphere for folks to gather and enjoy an iced cold beer, a 100% Angus beef burger and to sip on their ever-popular, hand shaken, real fruit, icy drops.
