Kevin Porter, Business Operations Manager at Vestals Catering, oversees staffing, payroll, and operations for one of Dallas’s premier luxury catering companies. With 30 to 50 events each week, the team required a streamlined system to maintain organization while upholding their high service standards.
As the business expanded, so did the complexities of managing staff and tracking labor, highlighting the unsustainability of their existing processes.
Overcoming Disconnected Systems
Prior to implementing Nowsta, Vestals relied on a patchwork of tools that failed to integrate effectively. Tracking hours was cumbersome, scheduling lacked transparency, and extracting meaningful insights from their data proved nearly impossible. Initially, even after adopting Nowsta, the team wasn’t maximizing its capabilities.
“We were essentially treating Nowsta like a spreadsheet. Once we fully understood its functionalities, everything changed in our operations.”
Transforming Staffing into a Strategic Advantage
By adopting a more deliberate approach, Vestals began utilizing Nowsta to enhance their staffing processes. By publishing events directly within the platform, staff could accept shifts in real time, resulting in significant increases in engagement and staffing quality. On peak days, staff acceptances soared from 36 to 75, minimizing the reliance on outside labor and ensuring consistent execution.
“It nearly doubled our staff engagement overnight, allowing us to stop depending on external teams that weren’t familiar with our standards.”
Leveraging Data for Significant Savings
The most substantial impact stemmed from enhanced reporting capabilities. Nowsta provided the team with visibility into labor costs alongside revenue, particularly in the kitchen. This allowed them to make informed decisions based on actual performance rather than estimates.
“In just seven weeks, we saved approximately $23,000 in the kitchen solely by leveraging data. That’s when we truly recognized the system’s power.”
With improved visibility, better staffing alignment, and tighter control over labor costs, Vestals Catering is now operating with a more structured and scalable approach while consistently delivering high-quality events.