Case Study
Sauce Nouvelle x Chowly Platform
Where Behavior Science Meets Restaurant Scale
+45%
Increase in Average Daily Order Volume*
*Average Daily Sales after 4 months of switching to the Chowly Platform
+10%
Increase in Average Basket Sizes*
*Average Daily Sales after 4 months of switching to the Chowly Platform
$6,455
Saved in Commission to 3rd Parties*
*In a 4 month period after switching to the Chowly Platform
“Most chefs throw spaghetti at the wall. I test everything—six sandwiches, six variables, then optimize for a five-star review. That’s behavior science. I think like a developer—I like to try things out, measure what works, and iterate fast. That’s why I liked the precision and adaptability of the Chowly Platform—it fits the way I operate.”
Sauce Nouvelle isn’t your average sandwich shop—it’s a culinary experiment built on flavor, data, and relentless efficiency.
Chef-owner Nicolas Ganea opened the Bainbridge Island spot in 2023, drawing from a background in Michelin-star kitchens, molecular gastronomy, and behavior science. Located in the Winslow Mall in Washington state, this casual counter-service concept offers inventive sandwiches, salads, house-made desserts, and drinks—with plenty of vegetarian, vegan, and kid-friendly options.
Nicolas wasn’t just bored with bland sandwiches—he saw an opportunity to reinvent fast-casual dining. His approach? Use behavior science to shape the menu. Let SEO and Google Ads bring in foot traffic. Replace counter chaos with Square-powered self-checkouts. Guests can order directly for pickup or delivery through Sauce Nouvelle’s first-party system—or opt for third-party apps like Uber Eats.
The strategy worked. Within a year, Sauce Nouvelle became Bainbridge Island’s top-rated restaurant, doubled revenue, earned a glowing Seattle Times review, attracted investors, and built a fiercely loyal following. With a second location on the way—and a long-term goal of scaling to 1,000 units—Nicolas needed more than good food. He needed digital infrastructure that could scale with him and move just as fast.
That’s where the Chowly Platform comes in.
With seamless Square POS integration, built-in website tools, ad automation, Dynamic Pricing, real-time reporting and a digital storefront that operates behind the scenes, the Chowly Platform gave Sauce Nouvelle the scalability, efficiency, and visibility it needed to grow fast—without sacrificing control or creativity.
Challenges
Nicolas built Sauce Nouvelle with a scientist’s brain and a chef’s heart—but his former tech partners couldn’t keep up.
He needed a platform that matched his need for experimentation, precision, and scale. Instead, he faced:
- Spotty Google visibility—despite being the island’s top-rated restaurant
- A legacy platform that failed to deliver on SEO, ads, or support
- A menu system so limiting, he had to rebuild it in Photoshop
- No visibility into ad performance or ordering channel attribution
- A patchwork of tools that couldn’t support his growth plans
With a second location underway and plans to scale to 1,000 stores, he needed more than a menu manager. He needed a platform that integrated with Square, supported his data-driven mindset, and let him scale and not require micromanaging digital operations.
The Shift
It started with a conversation.
Something about the Chowly Platform stood out—and it turned out to be exactly what Nicolas needed. What won him over was simple: the Chowly Platform solves real problems. With a clear roadmap and tools designed to drive both efficiency and growth, Nicolas found a partner that matched his pace and precision.
- SEO + custom site pushed Sauce Nouvelle to the top of local search.
- Ad attribution revealed which campaigns actually drove orders.
- Square integration powered first-party ordering, kiosks, loyalty, and payments.
- First-party tools gave full control over menus, promos, and pricing.
- Weekly calls kept strategy sharp and aligned.
- Dynamic Pricing boosted basket size by 10% automatically.
- Third-party orders synced, throttled, and managed in one place.
- Google Profile tools kept listings accurate and converting.
With the Chowly Platform, digital became an asset—not another job.
"I need a partner that pays attention so I can focus on building the business. That’s how I see the Chowly Platform fitting into this."
With Chowly, Nicolas found a platform that matched his experimental style and pragmatic mindset. The team could quickly test what worked (thanks to conversion data and ad insights), streamline updates with a built-in website builder, and tap into Square-powered integrations—all without distracting him from the parts of the business he loves most. With weekly strategy calls and smart automation working in the background, the Chowly Platform helped Nicolas stay focused on growth—while quietly boosting profitability behind the scenes and laying the groundwork for long-term success.
The Results
Since switching to the Chowly Platform, Sauce Nouvelle has seen:
- +200% YoY growth—6x the restaurant industry average
- $3K+ in one day from self-checkout alone
- 12% market penetration in Bainbridge Island
- 4.9-star rating maintained (industry average: 4.1–4.4)
- 5x session growth in the first 7 days
- ~58% of traffic from direct visits
- 3.17x ROAS - solid return on a small, focused ad budget
- 10% increase in average basket size with Dynamic Pricing powered by automatic menu adjustments through the Chowly Platform
- 25% increase in return visits and 18% lift in average order value via Square loyalty and gift cards
- More time to focus on expansion, with a second location launching summer 2025
- Strategic plan for 3–5 locations to support a future franchise model
With Chowly, the digital side of the business isn’t just running—it’s fueling the next phase of growth.
“I want to support a company that is doing right by the restaurant industry. The Chowly Platform gives me the SEO, the visibility, and the strategy I needed—and they actually listen. That’s rare.”
“Most restaurants need four or five cooks to hit $3,000 a day. I need one. It’s all about process. This place runs without me because it was designed to. That’s how we scale.”
Conclusion
For Chef Nicolas Ganea, efficiency isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s the
operating system behind every decision.
operating system behind every decision.
From self-checkouts to smart pricing, everything at Sauce Nouvelle is built to scale. And with the Chowly Platform, he found the partner and infrastructure to make that vision real.
Chowly didn’t just replace one tool—it replaced five. From SEO to ordering, from ads to reporting, everything now flows through one platform. That means fewer headaches, more control, and a clear path to grow.
As Nicolas prepares to open location two and lay the foundation for 3–5 stores (and beyond), he’s not just keeping up—he’s building a smarter, faster restaurant company from the inside out. And the Chowly Platform is right there with him.
Key Takeaways:
- Chowly’s Platform helped Sauce Nouvelle dominate search and map results
- First-party ordering paired with Square integration keeps ops lean
- Marketing support and vendor communication helped them scale faster and more efficiently
- Digital tools power both daily execution and big-picture growth
