How Amba in Cambridge Tripled Restaurant Sales by Streamlining the Lunch Rush | Eater

"I opened Amba in 2024 at a local farmers market in Cambridge as a Mediterranean-inspired fast-casual spot, and in its first year it almost tripled daily sales. As a James Beard Award semifinalist and founder of Cambridge Street Hospitality Group, I structured service so we don’t overstack staff during peaks: one person opens the line for breakfast, with additional cooks added at 10:30 a.m. and noon to handle up to about 400 items across catering, in-house orders, and delivery. To keep the queue moving we encourage online ordering through our website and Square site, and we have two self-service kiosks inside with a sign that says, “Don’t want to wait in line, use this kiosk right here.” From a production standpoint, we chose to buy high-quality pita and hummus rather than make them in-house—paying a premium that saves roughly five hours of labor daily. Menu prices are kept accessible (nothing over $20), and I’ve focused on measured expansion by choosing locations with the right foot traffic and parking while avoiding high-rent, VC-driven spaces; that approach helped the concept connect with nearby offices and residents very quickly." - Sam Nelson