The Bro’kin Yolk

The Right Services Help This Restaurant Prioritize Their Customers

Brothers Jeff and Gil Carlos grew up knowing they wanted to be entrepreneurs, and in 2015 they made that dream a reality with their restaurant The Bro’Kin Yolk. Even the name of the business tells a story: Bro, for the brothers who run it, Kin for the family atmosphere they foster, and Yolk...well, they love eggs.

“We set out to start this business primarily to spend more time with our families,” says Gil. “Serving breakfast and lunch, you’re done by 3 p.m.” That sense of family permeates everything they do, from their Pan-Asian menu that honours their Fillippino heritage, to the program enabling location managers to become partners in the business. “It’s all about creating a culture where everyone feels welcomed,” says Carly Mckenzie, the regional manager who’s been with the company since day one.

Obviously, the business model worked—they've expanded to three locations in Calgary, with a new space opening in Edmonton, all due to customer demand. “It came to a point where we were turning away so many people,” says Gil. Earlier in their business, without the right systems in place, their popularity led to long wait times for customers. Then they switched to Shaw Business in 2017.

Being able to use SmartVoice changed everything for them. “We use it for our waitlist system—we didn’t have a queue system before,” says Carly. “We’re able to help more people in a shorter timespan.”

“Our waitlist system is probably one of the more trusted systems in our company,” says Gil. “We train our team on the actual accurate wait times, so if we tell you your wait time is 45 mins you’re getting in at 45 minutes.”

The SmartVoice system also sends voicemails straight to email making it easier for busy entrepreneurs to arrange their to-do lists. “It allows us to really prioritize which voicemails need to be taken care of and which can wait 24 hours,” says Gil. “Customers really appreciate that. They like when a company is accessible.”

That kind of accessibility and ease of service is what The Bro’Kin Yolk is all about. “It matches our standards of going above and beyond for customers,” says Carly. Once those customers are in the restaurant, happy staff and reliable WiFi connection make the service smooth and the experience an opportunity to relax and connect with loved ones.

“We use WiFi for our music system, Touch Bistro (POS) needs a very reliable internet modem, and our Clover machines are now on WiFi also,” says Gil. “Without those three our business cannot function.”

Because everything is so interconnected, reliability is key. “We experienced unreliable internet before Shaw Business,” says Carly. “It’s a chaotic experience.” Not only for customers, but for employees as well. “It keeps us from doing what we enjoy doing,” says Gil. “We have to troubleshoot, or jump on the phone with customer service.”

That’s part of why they’ve also invested in Shaw Business’ LTE Backup. “Honestly, it’s one less thing as an entrepreneur you have to worry about,” says Gil. “It gives you peace of mind to really focus on your business.”

A trusted relationship like that gives Gil and Carly confidence when they embark on a opening a new location. “We’re very happy with Shaw Business,” says Gil. “Whenever we go into a new location, one of the first questions we ask the landlord is what provider they use.” They’ve even asked properties they had their eye on to make the switch. “We couldn't run without it,” says Carly.

If there are ever any issues, their customer service representative happens to be a regular at the restaurant. “What I appreciate about Shaw Business is people that work there really care about the business, and the company, and the service they give,” says Gil. “It’s just like our values, that’s how we became friends and grew our relationship. It’s literally a direct line.”

That kind of connection speaks volumes about the family atmosphere present in every aspect of The Bro’Kin Yolk. “Sitting down with my family every night for dinner, that’s where we discuss our day and communicate with each other,” says Carly.

And at The Bro’Kin Yolk “You can be present together, and experience some phenomenal food too.”