A Busy Café Looking for a Smarter Way to Serve
Divine Café is located within Summerset on the Landing, a modern retirement village in Kenepuru, Porirua. Serving residents, their families and the wider community, the café welcomes hundreds of customers each day.
The Divine team needed a faster and more reliable way to prepare cabinet food without increasing pressure on the kitchen. Reducing wait times, improving consistency and supporting Summerset’s sustainability goals were key priorities. To meet these needs, the café turned to a Merrychef high-speed oven.
Installation took just two hours, and staff training was deliberately simple. The team began with one item at a time until everyone felt confident. Recipes were pre-programmed so each cabinet item had its own button, allowing staff to produce perfectly heated food at the touch of a finger. What started as a small addition quickly reshaped the pace and smoothness of daily service.
Discovering the Benefits
The Merrychef delivered immediate improvements. Cabinet food now heats in three minutes or less, meaning customers are served quickly and queues move faster during busy periods. “Sometimes people get their food before they get their coffees,” says Maddy, Divine Café’s Supervisor. “It’s just that quick.”
The improved efficiency saves the kitchen around two hours each day, freeing back-of-house staff to focus on resident meals and reducing energy in the kitchen. Consistency has also increased, with food reaching the correct temperature every time. “It comes out exactly the same, every single time, which means no waste and no guesswork,” Maddy says. Staff appreciate the simplicity and reliability, which has made service less stressful.
The hybrid oven also supports Summerset’s sustainability goals. With low standby power use and significantly shorter cook times, it reduces overall energy consumption per item. “It’s a small appliance and doesn’t use much electricity at all,” Maddy explains. “We’ve definitely reduced our reliance on gas, and that feels like a good step forward for the café.”
Faster service and consistent quality have helped boost cabinet food sales, giving the team flexibility to expand the menu as needed. The Merrychef has made it easier to keep up with demand, especially during peak times.
Moving Forward
Divine Café’s experience shows how a single smart investment can transform a busy service environment. Pre-programmed recipes ensure consistent quality, and businesses do not need to redesign their kitchen to start improving efficiency. Faster, more reliable service keeps customers satisfied, and the energy savings contribute directly to long-term sustainability goals.
Following the success of the Merrychef, Divine Café plans to continue improving its efficiency, with an induction cooktop next on the list. The Merrychef has already changed the way the team works, creating a faster, more consistent and more energy-efficient café that supports staff and delivers a better experience for customers every day.
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