The Chestnut Tree
The Chestnut Tree is a well-known teahouse, bistro, caterer, and event space in Downtown Denton that is known for serving delicious bistro-style food and great customer service since 1994! As a family-owned, small business, the restaurant values creating relationships with new and old customers through its exquisite food, and is the oldest restaurant on the Historic Downtown Denton Square.
The Challenge
Bring The Chestnut Tree online, and quickly.
The Chestnut Tree has been an on-and-off client of ours for years, as well as longtime friends of the business. Their willingness to adapt and innovate to meet customer demand has always been a point of admiration for us.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, The Chestnut Tree was forced to close its doors for in-person dining, and resort to curbside pickup and delivery services to continue supporting the Denton community. At the time, The Chestnut Tree did not have a platform that allowed them to expand and offer such services. In fact, the transition from a brick-and-mortar business, to one that was “Covid-friendly,” was no small feat, and not only affected its customers, but its employees. For this reason, it was essential for GSATi to determine which e-commerce strategy would be required to meet these novel consumer and business needs, and when we were approached to create a sustainable virtual marketplace to supplement their website as COVID-19 approached, we were honored to help make this possible.
The Solution
Weebly by Square is the way.
In an effort to expand their services in response to COVID-19, The Chestnut Tree decided to add a local marketplace, which would offer groceries and pre-made meals available for curbside pickup or delivery service to the community during these critical times. GSATi was able to add this new service to The Chestnut Tree’s existing site on Square Online in a seamless way.
Weebly was our go-to recommendation, since the store already operated with a Square POS system. With a lot of effort, and a little bit of wine, we were able to help build The Chestnut Tree a collection of ready to eat products, fresh produce, and locally-sourced goods that met their customer demand to obtain food in a safe and secure way that still supported local business.
The Results
Quick turnover from online to curbside.
After we were able to implement the new market-style ordering system for The Chestnut Tree, along with their existing menu and catering options, the results were hard to miss. Quickly, customers were able to place orders for curbside pickup or delivery and leave tips for the hardworking team who were able to manage the influx of orders with ease.
Additionally, The Chestnut Tree was able to better understand the insights behind their website, which made decision-making around inventory and services far easier to resolve. Third-party vendors seeking new places to sell their products, like vegan cheese and homemade salsa, found a home on The Chestnut Tree’s marketplace.
Overall, The Chestnut Tree was able to stay afloat and sustain the livelihood of both its consumers and employees. Today, as the harshest business side-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic begin to alleviate, The Chestnut Tree is back to serving the community in-person, as well as through the online marketplace. By expanding its services, The Chestnut Tree has seen an increase in sales, and is overall so incredibly appreciative for the support and patience Denton has shown them during this transition.