Buckhead - The Jewish Georgian

Page 6 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN September-October 2007
The Brickery wants to take the headache out of settling the bill
By Brian Katzowitz
The routine is the same for almost
everyone, everywhere. Whether you’re
grabbing a quick bite during a busy lunch
hour at Chili’s or enjoying a filet mignon at
Atlanta’s finest steakhouse, paying the bill
can be an arduous, multi-step process. But
in an industry that has come increasingly
under fire due to credit card theft and
“skimming,” in which a card’s magnetic
strip is duplicated, restaurant owners are
beginning to seek out other options.
Bruce Alterman, the longtime owner of
The Brickery, a Sandy Springs restaurant
staple for the synagogue crowd, understands
the massive flaw in the restaurant
industry’s payment system and is participating
in a pilot project to offer a pay-atthe-table
system for his customers.
Developed by Verifone, the project supplies
The Brickery’s waitstaff with manual credit
card machines that allow customers to
never lose sight of their cards.
“It benefits us and our customers in a
number of different ways,” said Alterman.
“In addition to streamlining efficiency and
greatly reducing the chance that cards get
misplaced, it will hopefully eliminate the
credit card fraud that’s plaguing our industry.”
Already prevalent in Europe, the payat-the-table
system has yet to hit the mainstream
in the U.S., although many owners,
Alterman included, predict that it will.
Whether due to the expense, up to $12,000
per restaurant, or skepticism about its reliability
or effectiveness, it is unclear whether
systems like Verifone’s will become the
norm when dining out.
For Alterman’s restaurant, the pay-atthe-table
system offers him the chance to
jump ahead of the curve in the restaurant
business, an opportunity rarely afforded to
a family-owned, neighborhood establishment.
“We haven’t always had the financial
resources to compete against the big chains,
but the advent of new technology like these
systems puts us on equal footing,” he said.
While he may not enjoy the revenue of
Atlanta’s chain restaurants, Alterman has
done something right in his 16 years of
owning The Brickery. The customers are
loyal and the crowds steady. Rarely does
one pass through the front door without recognizing
a familiar face from down the
street or down the aisle at temple.
The pay-at-the-table system may or
may not make it out of the pilot stage, but
Alterman will continue seeking out options
to lead the way in customer service and
restaurant efficiency.
PAY AT THE TABLE: Katie Rosenberg with Brickery regulars Arlene Turry,
Kimberly Jordan, and Sherry King