Chumon is a custom software studio in Montreal. We observe the work on site, build an application around the problem, and stay involved once it’s in service.
A bilingual waitlist in service at Yokato Yokabai, a MICHELIN Guide-recommended restaurant. Ramen Youki is also a partner.
The problem
Staff took names with pencil and paper, sometimes outside in −30 °C weather. Guests could spend fifteen minutes in line before finding out they still had a two-hour wait and had to stay on site.
What we built
Guests join the waitlist at a self-service kiosk. The front-of-house team sees each party appear in real time and can send a text or WhatsApp message when their table is ready.
The result
Guests can wait elsewhere and arrive at their table less frustrated. That takes pressure off the team at the door. Guests can use French or English throughout, and international visitors can receive their notification on WhatsApp.
The inventory and ordering tool used in the kitchen at Ichigo Ichie.
The problem
At Ichigo Ichie, several prep teams shared dozens of spreadsheets to look up ingredients and suppliers. Even handing an order over to a new team member was difficult.
What we built
Each person counts stock on their phone. A colleague can place the order remotely, another team checks it in, and the manager can follow along from off site. The tool also tracks price history, substitutes for out-of-stock items, and the ingredient cost of each dish.
The result
Supplier orders take less time to prepare. Across shifts, everyone can see what was counted, ordered and received in one place.
Our approach
We start with how your team works and build only what you need, without a fixed package.
Observe on site
We sit with the people doing the work. Where does someone have to enter information twice? When does one team have to wait for another?
Build with your team
We shape a first version around the problem we saw. Your team tries it, and we adjust the workflow while changes are still easy to make.
Support the rollout
We put the application into production and stay in touch with the people using it. Their questions and the unexpected parts of a shift guide what happens next.
About
Félix St-Pierre
I started Chumon in Montreal because I love the restaurant business. My first projects began with questions that come up during a shift. How do we tell a party their table is ready? How do we know what the last shift already ordered?
I visit teams where they work and check back after launch. I ask what’s changed in their day, what still slows them down, and what we should adjust. That’s how we decide together what goes into the next update.
