Streamlining Data Processes for Maki & Ramen

Data integration case study - Maki & Ramen

When fast-casual dining chain Maki & Ramen began experiencing growing pains across its expanding UK operations, the issue wasn’t in the kitchen—it was in the data. With a reputation for high-quality, accessible Japanese cuisine, the team needed faster, more reliable insights to drive performance. Yet, manual data processes were consuming up to half the time of their Business Development Manager and introducing costly inefficiencies. Partnering with Biztory, Maki & Ramen embraced a modern data stack built on Snowflake and Rivery, automating their reporting pipeline, eliminating errors, and unlocking £15k in annual savings—all while equipping their team with the tools to scale smarter and faster.

Maki & Ramen, founded by Teddy Lee, introduces high-quality ramen and sushi to local communities. With 8 restaurants around the UK, Maki & Ramen proudly servers thousands of hungry customers with delicious, accessible, yet high-quality Asian food.

Data Challenges

Maki & Ramen faced significant challenges with their current data architecture. The Business Development Manager, Matt, was spending 30% to 50% of his time manually extracting and processing data from their EPOS system, Kobas. The data resided in Google Sheets and was integrated into Tableau for reporting, covering essential metrics like sales, inventory, and staff performance. However, the manual process was time-consuming and error-prone, leading to inefficiencies and data inaccuracies.

Inefficient data handling

The manual data processing limited the company's ability to make timely and informed business decisions.

Risk of errors

The reliance on manual data extraction introduced risks of errors and inconsistencies, which could impact key performance indicators and business strategies.

Scalability Issues

The lack of an automated and robust data infrastructure hindered the scalability and future-proofing of their data processes.

Maki & Ramen Data ingestion customer story (1)

Maki & Ramen Data processes streamlining customer story (2)

Data Solutions

To address these challenges, Biztory implemented a comprehensive data solution leveraging the Modern Data Stack. The engagement was divided into three phases.

Rivery + Snowflake QuickStart

Phase 1 of our project involved a Proof of Concept (PoC) to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating Rivery and Snowflake. Our main objective was to integrate data from Kobas into Snowflake via Rivery, establishing a seamless pipeline for data flow and management.

To support this integration, we designed and implemented a basic database architecture in Snowflake tailored to the project's needs. This included developing a reporting layer specifically designed to handle pre-defined use cases relevant to the business operations, ensuring that the data could be effectively used for decision-making processes.

Production & Automation

We transitioned the solution to a Production environment by integrating Kobas' live APIs. We developed a query solution using Skyvia to automate data exports from Snowflake to Google Sheets, reducing manual data entry and streamlining reporting processes.

Workflow automations were also implemented to enhance data accuracy. Comprehensive documentation and training were provided to ensure smooth adoption and effective ongoing use of the system.

Knowledge Transfer

Additionally, we focused on documentation and knowledge transfer to the Maki & Ramen team. This was crucial for enabling them to understand and manage the new system independently.

By documenting every step and transferring knowledge, we ensured that the team was not only able to maintain the system but also adapt and expand it as their business needs evolved.

Success factors & impact

By automating data extraction from source systems like Kobas, we ensured 100% data integrity, significantly enhanced reporting quality, saved over £15k annually in resources, accelerated reporting times, and eliminated dependency on single resources, thus enabling faster, data-driven decisions and continuous access to critical insights for Maki & Ramen.

Data Accuracy

By automating data extraction directly from source systems like Kobas, we eliminated human error entirely, ensuring 100% data integrity. This led to consistently accurate, untouched data, significantly enhancing reporting quality and decision-making for Maki & Ramen.

Time Savings

The solution reduced manual report generation time, allowing the team to shift their focus from data extraction to more strategic activities. As a result, this modern data landscape successfully saved them over £15k a year in resourcing.

Faster Reporting

Time-consuming reports are now generated automatically which drastically reduces reporting lag. This enabled faster, data-driven decisions, giving the business a competitive advantage. Reports that previously took hours to days to generate can now be created within minutes.

Improved Data Access

The manual process's reliance on a single team member was removed, which normally led to backlogs and delays. Now, executives can directly access real-time reports, ensuring continuous access to critical insights without bottlenecks.