When Patrick Cheng launched General Tso’s in 2020 amidst the global pandemic, it wasn’t a mere pivot—it was a breakthrough born from necessity. With his previous homestay rental business collapsing, Patrick seized the opportunity to revive a struggling Chinese restaurant in Dunwoody, Georgia. Using a streamlined, logistics-first approach, Patrick quickly transformed the small 800 sq. ft. space into what he describes as a "catering factory," optimized for high-volume, high-speed output.
“In just 30 days, we pulled in $30,000. That’s when I knew: this wasn’t just a pivot. It was a breakthrough.”
General Tso’s operates exclusively as a catering kitchen, efficiently producing up to 200 meals per hour without any dine-in services. Inspired by the unmet demand for dependable Asian catering among offices, hospitals, and schools, Patrick leveraged his business background and family experience in the food industry to create a highly efficient, tech-enabled restaurant model that prioritizes speed, consistency, and quality.
After a particularly challenging Friday when multiple orders were delivered incorrectly, resulting in full refunds, Patrick decided to find a solution. Shipday stood out with its real-time tracking, smart dispatch, route optimization, and customer notifications, offering exactly the functionalities General Tso’s needed.
Implementation was seamless, with onboarding completed within a single day. Staff and drivers were quickly trained using AI-powered training materials, supported by Shipday’s responsive team.
“One client said, ‘You guys are dialed in.’ That was it—our ‘aha’ moment.”
The impact of implementing Shipday was immediate and substantial:
Financial Improvements: Reduced refunds, optimized resource use, and increased driver retention allowed the reinvestment of resources into business growth.
With Shipday, drivers experienced significantly less confusion, greater autonomy, and increased loyalty. Customers appreciated the accurate, timely tracking updates, often highlighting the reliability of General Tso’s catering. “You guys run like Amazon — but tastier.” mentioned one of the corporate clients.
“Customers love the tracking feature. It builds trust and shows we’re serious about service.”
Patrick unequivocally recommends Shipday to other restaurant operators. He emphasizes that using Shipday is essential—not optional—in today’s highly competitive catering market.
In his words:
"Shipday is your delivery manager, dispatcher, and GPS—rolled into one. It didn’t just fix delivery; it freed up our time to grow smarter, train better, and serve faster. If you're serious about scaling in this industry, Shipday isn't a luxury—it's a lifesaver."
Through the strategic adoption of Shipday, General Tso’s not only stabilized its operations but also positioned itself for sustained growth and industry leadership.
Play around with it first, add your team, pay later.