In an industry as dynamic and challenging as hospitality, the demand for innovative solutions to streamline operations and optimize profitability has never been greater.
At the forefront of this transformation is Atlas —a tech-focused platform that centralizes data to give restaurant operators real-time insights and streamlined operations. With restaurant operators facing increased operational costs and shrinking profit margins, Atlas stands as a support system for the hospitality industry.
Founded in 2021 by Afshin Mousavian and Turi Mercuri, Atlas has rapidly evolved from a collaborative concept to a vital tool for small-sized restaurant groups in Canada, supports popular restaurants in Toronto like Nobu, And/Ore, Florette, and Trinity Market.
Fintech.ca sat down with Mousavian and Mercuri to discuss the pressing challenges facing the hospitality industry and the future of restaurant management technology. They shared their insights on how Atlas addresses the inefficiencies in the industry and their plans for continued innovation and growth.
Can you tell us about Atlas and how it was developed?
Afshin: Atlas was born out of a collaboration between Turi and I, who I’ve known for over 10 years. My background is in technology and eCommerce, and I eventually opened a bar, which is where Turi and I would often meet. Turi comes from a hospitality background—his grandparents owned a Greek restaurant where he grew up. Through our conversations, we realized there was a significant gap in the market for a system that focused on empowering hospitality teams with automation of daily admin tasks so that they could focus on hospitality. This led us to develop Atlas, a platform that empowers teams with automation across many daily functions that have a huge impact on the success of the business and the happiness of employees.
What motivated you to start Atlas, and what specific challenges in the hospitality industry are you aiming to address?
Afshin: We started Atlas because we saw firsthand the inefficiencies in the hospitality industry, especially when it came to daily reporting, management of employees, and the tedious daily tasks that make or break the business. Knowing that operators have minimal time for sales pitches on new products, we focused on solutions for daily hair-on-fire problems that take up a lot of time and energy. The idea was to show them a solution instead of pitching a product — this worked extremely well with our tipping automation tool, Atlas Direct Tips. By automating tip division and distribution, we were able to demand the attention of owners and employees who have been looking for such a solution for as long as tipping has been around. Our tipping tool allows us to show the impact of automation, which then allows us to showcase our other products that increase profits for operators and support for employees.
Given the current challenges in the hospitality industry, how does Atlas approach operational improvements and profitability?
Turi: Atlas tackles these challenges head-on by centralizing all the critical data restaurant operators need. Atlas differs from all-in-one restaurant management systems by prioritizing profit optimization through integration with existing systems and offering detailed insights on labour costs and tip distribution.
Atlas translates critical data in a way any hospitality operator — regardless of their role or experience — can easily understand and showcase how their actions can impact profitability during a shift.
Our platform is designed to reduce the manual processes that bog down restaurant operators, saving them time and money while also helping them make more informed decisions that boost profitability.
What are your plans for the future of Atlas, particularly regarding innovation and growth?
Turi: As we look to the future, we’re focused on continuing to innovate and expand the capabilities of Atlas. Our goal is to build on the profit-optimizing features we started developing in 2022 and to explore new ways of working together with the hospitality industry to continue to help restaurant operators navigate the ever-evolving challenges of the industry. In 2024 and beyond, we plan to introduce new features that further streamline operations and enhance the overall experience for our users.
As you lead a tech-driven company in the hospitality sector, what do you envision for the future of technology in this industry?
Afshin: We see technology playing a critical role in the hospitality industry, especially with the rising operational costs everyone’s dealing with. It won’t just be about cutting costs, though; technology is also reshaping how teams are structured and the skills they need to succeed. We like to think of Atlas as more than just a tool — it’s a companion for operators, helping them navigate their day-to-day tasks with insights and data they’ve never had access to before. This leads to more data-driven decisions and predictable outcomes, which produce healthier businesses and happier teams.
Looking ahead, we imagine a shift in the industry where the role of General Manager evolves into something more like a Director of Hospitality. This change would allow teams to focus on what they do best—the art of hospitality—while Atlas handles the general management side of things, turning data and trends into actionable insights.
How does Atlas integrate with existing hospitality systems, and what effects does this have on day-to-day operations?
Afshin: A typical hospitality business, like a restaurant or a coffee shop, usually juggles about four different tech systems — a Point of Sale (POS), scheduling tools, payroll rolls, and a reservation system. Instead of making operators bounce between these systems, Atlas pulls all that data together under one roof and automates tasks that would normally be done manually.
Take Atlas Direct Tips, for example. It links with the POS and scheduling systems to figure out how much in tips was made and how those tips should be split among the employees who worked that shift. Atlas also handles the distribution, transferring the funds directly from the business to the employees’ bank accounts.
Without Atlas, managers would be stuck doing all this on a spreadsheet and then dealing with the hassle of going to the bank, withdrawing cash, and manually divvying it up among the staff. As you can imagine, this eats up a lot of time and adds unnecessary risk when it comes to handling cash.
How does Atlas support restaurant operators financially, particularly with features like Atlas Direct Tips and Reporting Automation?
Afshin: Financial support is at the core of what we do at Atlas. Take Atlas Direct Tips, for example—it doesn’t just automate how tips are divided and distributed; it also makes sure those tips aren’t counted as wages. This is super important because if tips were considered wages, employers would have to pay CPP and EI on those amounts, and employees would have deductions taken from their tips, too. By doing this, we help businesses stay compliant with federal laws and remove the hassle and risks that come with handling cash. Plus, our Reporting Automation tools simplify the whole process of managing targets, reporting, and team communication, so operators can easily keep track of their finances and make smarter decisions.
What challenges might arise as hospitality operations become more automated, and how does Atlas plan to navigate them?
Turi: Automation in hospitality comes with its own set of challenges, particularly when it comes to maintaining the human element of the industry. As we automate more tasks, there’s a risk of losing that human element. That’s why, with Atlas, we focus on handling all the tedious tasks, so the teams can spend more time with guests instead of being buried in spreadsheets. By giving operators the right tools to simplify their back-end processes, we’re helping them do what they love most – providing exceptional service.
With current trends in the hospitality industry, where do you see potential growth for Atlas, and are there any upcoming initiatives that you’re particularly excited about?
Turi: We see a lot of growth potential for Atlas as more restaurants look for ways to streamline their operations and boost their profits. With the rising costs of labor and goods, and given the current stats on profitability being just 2.2% and bankruptcies at 44%, there are plenty of opportunities for Atlas to use technology and automation to help operators navigate the tight margins in the hospitality industry.
Over the next six months, we’re really excited about some of the initiatives we have lined up, including new features that will make our platform even better at optimizing profits and managing daily operations. We’re also looking to expand our market presence, especially in areas where the hospitality industry is facing the greatest challenges. We’re confident that Atlas has the solutions restaurant operators need to succeed.
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