Little Green Cyclo has been bringing fresh, authentic Vietnamese street food to the Bay Area for eight years. The founders—Chef Quynh Nguyen, Monica Wong and Susie Pham—serve up a menu that showcases the great flavors of Vietnam using local, free range, sustainable, organic, and seasonal ingredients.
The business started as one cash-only food truck. Not only have they added two trucks, they have also expanded to include a commercial kitchen, distributing product to 16 Philz coffee shops and local grocers. Little Green Cyclo also stocks smart vending machines that sell fresh packaged goods at hotels.
Accepting digital payments was a big part of their growth, say the owners. “By accepting only cash, we were turning away many customers every day,” says Monica. Customers also tipped more on cards, they discovered, especially on big-ticket orders. “Our customers like the easy tipping feature that displays “10, 15, or 20% tip” options after they swipe. Before, they would just leave one or two dollars in the tip box,” says Monica.
Susie mentions how employees noticed that digital payments helped to move people through the busy lunch lines faster and reduced customer complaints. Accepting digital payments has also made daily bookkeeping easier as managers can see the sales data in seconds, pull accounting records, and check cash flow, freeing up two to three hours a week, or over a hundred hours a year.
Monica Wong says, “Adding digital payments contributed significantly to our growth. We wouldn’t be where we are today without digital payments.”