Blue Ribbon: A Brand Built on Flavor and Flexibility
Blue Ribbon Restaurants isn’t a chain—it’s a collection of chef-driven concepts inspired by their surroundings.
Founded by the Bromberg Brothers in 1992, each restaurant is designed to reflect its neighborhood and offer a distinct experience, from sushi and sake in New York to fried chicken in Las Vegas.
Individuality is part of the brand’s DNA.
But operationally, that freedom creates complexity, especially when it comes to managing schedules, staffing, and labor law compliance across multiple cities and service styles.
That’s where Charles Reiser comes in.
Official titles aren’t really a thing at Blue Ribbon, but if you ask him, Charles is the Technology Dude. He’s the go-to problem-solver when something stops working—whether it’s a printer, a payroll file, or a process that no longer fits the needs of a growing restaurant group.
What started as a love of cooking turned into a career in operations and technology for Charles, and he’s been helping Blue Ribbon modernize ever since.
“We’re a dynamic organization. Things change, and the technology needs to fit what’s happening at the stores.” — Charles Reiser
The Challenge: Managing Labor Across 14 Different Restaurant Concepts
At most restaurant groups, operations leaders work to standardize. At Blue Ribbon, it’s the opposite.
Each location operates independently—different menus, different service models, different tech stacks. What works at a full-service grill in New York might not make sense for a brasserie in Los Angeles, for example.
But when every restaurant runs differently, staying on top of labor gets messy fast.
Scheduling was one of the biggest pain points.
The team tried platforms like HotSchedules, but managers found it too frustrating to use, and support was lacking.
“We had HotSchedules and [the managers] just stopped using it completely.”
Other tools, like Schedulefly, were easier on the budget but didn’t have the reporting and functionality needed to manage multiple locations.
“[The owners] loved it because it was free, but it was just such a pain… it did nothing. Can you run a multi-location report? No, you can’t,” said Charles.
Labor laws added another layer of complexity.
Without a system to build, track, and post schedules in advance, it was tough to meet requirements like New York’s predictive scheduling rules (also known as Fair Workweek).
What Blue Ribbon needed wasn’t more complexity—it was clarity, flexibility, and a partner who understood how they worked.
The Solution: Tools That Work the Way You Do
Charles wasn’t looking for a cookie-cutter platform. He needed something adaptable—something that could support 14 unique restaurants without forcing them into a one-size-fits-all mold.
That’s what led him to TimeForge.
The first rollout began at Blue Ribbon Sushi & Steak at Penn 1 in New York.
From there, the team expanded TimeForge to other locations, including restaurants running different POS systems or operating without POS integration at all.
“[TimeForge] is much more than an all-in-one package… Even in some of the restaurants where we don’t do any integration to the POS, we can still use it for scheduling and timekeeping.”
TimeForge’s ability to work across Blue Ribbon’s varied restaurant environments—and its integrations with systems like CBS NorthStar—made it a good fit for the group’s needs.
Whether a location had full integration or none at all, managers could still build schedules, clock in staff, and sync hours to payroll.
And according to Charles, both vendors stood out for their willingness to adapt:
“You guys have been great on that… I’m getting more, ‘What will make this work for you?’ and less, ‘Yeah, we don’t do that,’ which is what I get from most vendors.”
Adoption was easier than expected. Thanks to TimeForge’s user-friendly dashboard and robust help documentation, Charles found he didn’t have to do as much hands-on training as before.
“Just handing the guys the help site helped them get going. It’s more intuitive, and the help documents were a great benefit.”
The shift toward self-service didn’t just make his life easier. It helped managers take more ownership of their schedules and reduced the back-and-forth that used to eat up Charles’s day.
“It saved me time because I’m not spending time troubleshooting things… It’s much more intuitive than the last solution,” he said.
The Impact: Clarity, Compliance, and Time Saved
Implementing TimeForge wasn’t just about switching platforms—it was about building better habits.
Blue Ribbon has always prioritized great hospitality over rigid internal systems. That mindset works beautifully in the dining room—but behind the scenes, the lack of structure made labor planning a challenge.
So when it came time to modernize, any new tools had to align with the company’s culture of independence and flexibility—not fight against it.
That’s where TimeForge stood out. With simple scheduling tools, prebuilt templates, and mobile access, managers could build and share schedules in minutes—without disrupting the way they already worked.
The centralized dashboard also gave leadership better visibility, making it easy to see which restaurants had completed their schedules, which shifts were understaffed, and where last-minute changes were needed.
Compliance was simplified and automated. For states like New York, where labor laws require schedules to be posted 14 days in advance, TimeForge provides a clear digital record of when schedules are created and posted—making it easier for restaurants to stay aligned with legal requirements without adding extra admin work.
Charles quickly noticed a difference. Managers had fewer questions, and most of the ones that came up were easy to solve.
“It saves me time because most of the questions are self-answered now,” he said.
With fewer fires to put out, Charles could focus on supporting HR, payroll, and tech improvements across the group.
As he put it, TimeForge enables him to better “support the people who support the people.”
With scheduling stabilized, Blue Ribbon is now preparing to expand its use of TimeForge into forecasting, budgeting, and inventory planning—using the platform as a foundation for smarter decision-making across the business.
What’s Next for Blue Ribbon: Building on a Strong Foundation
Now that scheduling and timekeeping are in a much better place, Charles is looking ahead. Forecasting and budgeting are on the horizon—along with his next big initiative: inventory.
“We’re just really getting into forecasting and budgeting… Inventory’s my next big push,” he said.
Historically, Blue Ribbon’s approach to labor and budgeting has been more art than science. But with tools like TimeForge in place, Charles sees an opportunity to bring more data into decision-making—without losing the hands-on, high-touch culture that defines the brand.
That balance is important. Blue Ribbon succeeds by letting each restaurant operate as a true neighborhood spot, not by forcing a one-size-fits-all model.
Until now, detailed forecasting hadn’t been part of the process—not because the team wasn’t interested, but because they didn’t have the right tools. Now they do.
Rolling out those tools across such a diverse group wasn’t easy. But responsive support made a big difference for Charles and his team—and whenever questions came up, TimeForge was quick to help.
“I get much better support than I’ve ever gotten with any other scheduling product… You guys are on top of it.”
Blue Ribbon found a partner in TimeForge—one that respects how each restaurant runs and supports that independence. The platform flexes to fit their needs, while giving the team tools and guidance to stay focused on what matters most.
And for Charles, that support means he can get back to what he enjoys most—solving real problems and pushing the tech forward.
“I enjoy my job because I’m given challenges by the people I work with,” he said.
