Not just surviving but thriving: how Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers added new revenue streams during COVID

Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers started life as a market stall before opening as Australia’s first ‘gnoccheria’ (that’s a restaurant specialising in gnocchi), now with eight locations across Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Sydney.

The business decided to tackle the challenges that the Covid-19 pandemic brought on the hospitality industry head on, by chasing new revenue streams.

Pre-pandemic: situation normal

“The Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers dream started small,” says Benjamin Cleary-Corradini, co-founder and director. He and business partner, Theo Roduner are not brothers but friends, who shared the vision of serving people the very best gnocchi dish of their lives.

Offering a fun, casual, and welcoming Italian vibe, Cleary-Corradini says their customers love delicious gnocchi served quickly at an affordable price and consistently bang-on quality.

Initial pandemic days: decision time

“Our business dropped 50 percent overnight back in March 2020,” says Cleary-Corradini, a situation that will be all too familiar to many businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.

After the initial uncertainty, Cleary-Corradini realised the business had three options. “We could close and hibernate, relying on JobKeeper to keep us afloat. Or, we could trade only doing take-away” he says of the first two options. The third option was of much greater interest: “We realised we could get creative and chase new revenue streams.”

New revenue seeking: not just one but four

The first new revenue stream was hospitals, with the aim of feeding front-line workers at a time of great need. “We started with the ICU wards of hospitals and later targeted other larger wards for their lunch time and dinner orders,” says Cleary-Corradini.

A second pandemic-trend was AFL teams, whose games were increasingly moved to Brisbane and the Gold Coast, the home of Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers. “Our pivotal deal was with AFL’s Brisbane Lions, who were attracted to the carb-loading qualities of gnocchi,” says Cleary-Corradini.

Home deliveries were the next new plan. “We re-deployed front of house staff to become delivery drivers and created a network that went beyond our existing UberEats and Deliveroo footprint,” says Cleary-Corradini.

And, last, but by no means least, Gnocchi Gnocchi started pop-up stores in food courts. “Sadly, many of our peers could not survive the high rents in shopping centres so, when locations came up for lease, we decided to chase pop-up deals,” he says. “This has provided us with the confidence to create a 100 percent take-away business model, which we will continue to roll out.”

Tech help: how technology was part of the solution

New ideas almost always need investment. For Cleary-Corradini, expanding the business’s web presence was an essential part of the new revenue stream’s success. Support from partners was also vital. “We worked with delivery platforms like UberEats and Deliveroo to further build our brand,” says Cleary-Corradini. “And Tyro enabled us to do deals and transact quickly.”

Working together: payment flexibility and integration are key

The business flexed payment options for each of their new revenue streams.

“When popping up our new stores in food courts, Tyro had us covered with EFTPOS machines in place to get trading. Tyro makes things happen fast and that’s what we like most about them.”

Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers use Kounta, a Point of Sale system (POS) that integrates with Tyro, something that Cleary-Corradini says was vital during their ‘hours of power’ when transaction speed and volume were high. “Kounta and Tyro make for a fast, user-friendly system that allows you to punch through high volumes of orders smoothly,” he says.

The business was introduced to Tyro through Merchant Payment Solutions (MPS), an Independent Sales Organisation. “Our dedicated MPS representative has taught us how to exploit the full benefits of our POS and Tyro,” says Cleary-Corradini. “Their absolutely professional service has been particularly useful in helping us quickly onboard new locations with ease.”

The future: looking bright

The future is exciting for Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers, including plans to franchise and open 30 stores across Australia by 2025. “As a small but scaling business, we have learned you cannot simply wait around, you must create your own opportunities,” says Cleary-Corradini, reflecting on their whole journey, including the pandemic-full years. “To survive and thrive in today’s competitive environment you must innovate and always seek to do more.”

Does your business need support to pursue new revenue streams?

To learn more about Tyro EFTPOS, visit tyro.com or call 1300 00 TYRO (8976)