Leia O.
Yelp
I really want this place to not only survive, but thrive, and expand into my neighborhood, so I am offering constructive criticism based on my weekend visit (I think this place is probably hopping during the week, for business lunch). I am concerned about its continued success based on seeing the closures of restaurants I liked with similar concepts to this one. A closure that still stings was Local Thyme near(ish) to Grand Central. Very similar concept, and I am very sad it's gone.
Why am I rooting for SVK? Because I love the idea of having a "build your own" fast-casual restaurant that (seems to) choose ingredients carefully and uses sous vide for meat and fish. I like the kiosk concept for fast casual (when it's done well and provides enough info).
SVK did well:
* I chose chicken as my protein, and it was perfect. Steaming hot, tender, evenly cooked, and (thank you!) PLAIN. The flavor was excellent, even without marinade or spices. I was able to add the flavors I wanted with a selection of several sauces/add-ons.
* The kiosk gives you the opportunity to save your order. I don't know how this is done, since I didn't save my order, but if this functionality works, it's great for people who like complicated orders.
Opportunities for improvement:
* Have a well-lit, welcoming entrance on weekends (I'm assuming it is very different during the week) - see note at end.
* Have a description for each dish on the ordering kiosk. I get that SVK is trying to make things quick and efficient, but for people that need to know what ingredients/preparation (such as a Spanish Rice explanation, or letting me know the "crispy sprouts" were plain, raw Brussels sprouts, for example), it's far more efficient to click something to get an ingredient pop-up on the screen, than having to ask someone behind the counter, which is a few feet away, and during any other time, would presumably be very busy. Likewise, have an option for sauce/dressing to be on the side.
* Have a way to update the kiosk when you're out of something. The kiosk prompted me to order an additional side dish. That's a powerful and persuasive sales tool. After I paid, the person at the counter told me they were out of it. I didn't come in there wanting this side dish - the kiosk sold me on it. I don't know why the kiosk was not updated when the asparagus ran out - can a manager not update it? In well-functioning software for this application, it should be easy to just mark an item sold out, right?
* The concept of having different cuisines is appealing. However, there are items that are on one cuisine's menu and not another, which is annoying. Again, I get the efficiency aspect of having fewer things on the screen to help people choose, and the marketing aspect of bundling things in an appealing way. However, in looking at the website before we met, my friend wanted grilled salmon (Mediterranean menu) and Coconut Jasmine rice & quinoa (SVK menu). There was no way to order both. It would be different if each dish came from a different location in the restaurant, or from a different counter, but this was all at the same counter (Chipotle-style) made by the lone employee on duty. Why not have a selection on the kiosk that will show all the bases together, all the proteins together, etc.? At least for us, that would have been far more efficient than continuing to go back and forth, trying to find dishes that were on the website, with the system continuing to ask us if we needed more time.
* I couldn't get a receipt. I don't want a paper receipt anyway, but I would like to have a record of my transaction to check my credit card statement against. The system had my mobile number (you can opt to be texted when your order is ready), but I didn't get a receipt of my expenditure, nor could I figure out how to ask for one on the kiosk. Fintech and merchant processing has come a long way. This is easy.
* Put the hours on the website (a good spot would be the "About Us" page). Speaking of the "About Us" page - it says very little about SVK, and doesn't do justice to the value proposition. Why didn't the website mention the selective sourcing that is featured on a sign deep in the restaurant. I want you to succeed, SVK! Tell us (in a nice, concise way) EVERYTHING that is great about you.
And, again, there is no way that a casual, weekend passer-by would think SVK was open. It's dark and unwelcoming until you get all the way to the back of the restaurant to the counter. We were the only two customers in the place, and I saw a few people walk by it when we were in there, shade their eyes while looking closely through the glass, and decide against it. One potential customer came in while we were there, tried to use the ordering kiosk and gave up and left.