Protégé is a Michelin-starred neighborhood restaurant in Palo Alto, California, known for its elegant wine program and commitment to exceptional guest experiences. Led by Dennis Kelly, former Head Sommelier at The French Laundry, the restaurant has relied on BinWise since its opening in 2018 to simplify beverage inventory, reduce labor costs, and maintain complete visibility across its cellar.
The Challenge: Managing a Michelin-Caliber Wine Program
Running a high-end beverage program requires precision. Before BinWise, Dennis Kelly’s inventory process at The French Laundry demanded nearly a week of manual counting and spreadsheet updates. It was inefficient, expensive, and prone to human error.
“Inventory took a week. I wasn’t signing up for that again.” – Dennis Kelly
When launching Protege, home to roughly 2,500 bottles and 350 active selections, Dennis needed a system that would preserve accuracy and accountability without the complexity of multi-system workflows.
The Solution: BinWise as the Operational Backbone
From day one, BinWise became the foundation of Protege’s beverage operations. Kelly made it one of his non-negotiables upon opening. In fact, his goals were to: pay staff fairly, rebuild the cellar, and integrate BinWise.
“It cut a week-long process down to one day. For me, it’s perfect.”
BinWise now powers every part of Protege’s beverage management. Dennis Kelly performs full inventory every 28 days, solo, using BinWise to sort bottles by bin number, reconcile counts, and maintain perpetual accuracy.
Key Takeaway: BinWise enables Michelin-caliber beverage directors like Dennis Kelly to run data-driven, precise, and efficient programs without added complexity. By reducing inventory time by 85%, lowering labor costs by 80%, and delivering full visibility into cellar performance, BinWise continues to set the standard for beverage inventory management in fine dining.
Before fully committing to BinWise, Dennis briefly tested another beverage management platform that promised similar functionality. The experience reinforced why BinWise remained his preferred solution.
“They promised a lot but couldn’t deliver. I gave them my list of requests, none of it ever got done. With BinWise, every single feature I needed was built and ready for me to use.”
The contrast highlighted BinWise’s reliability and responsiveness. Dennis had worked directly with BinWise’s development team during his years at The French Laundry, helping shape several features that are now standard for restaurants worldwide.
“With other systems, improvements never happened. BinWise is the only system that truly works for how I operate.”
This experience reaffirmed Dennis Kelly’s trust in BinWise’s long-term commitment to supporting beverage professionals and continuously improving based on real-world feedback.
Core BinWise Features Used by Protege
- Inventory Management: Streamlines monthly counts for more than 2,500 bottles.
- Rooms & Bins Reports: Keeps the wine cellar organization precise and eliminates time spent searching for bottles.
- POS Integration (Toast via C2IT): Syncs sales data seamlessly with inventory for effortless reconciliation.
- Advanced Reporting: Reports track purchase orders, invoices, and consigned wine, all in one place.
“The system was literally tailored for how I operate. I can toggle through bin numbers, update counts instantly, and trust my data.” - Dennis Kelly
Results & Impact After Utilizing BinWise
Since implementing BinWise, Protege has completely transformed its inventory process:
- Inventory time reduced by 85% - from seven days to one.
- Labor costs cut by 80%, saving over 40 staff hours per inventory cycle.
- Accuracy improved to nearly 100%, eliminating manual entry errors.
- Full visibility across 2,500 bottles, simplifying accounting and reconciliation.
“It’s a simple, practical, accurate inventory system that saves time and frustration.”
These efficiencies free Dennis and his team to focus on service and guest experience rather than back-of-house administrative work. The system’s accuracy also supports cleaner financial reporting and tighter cost control which is essential for maintaining Michelin-level consistency.
Why BinWise Works for Fine Dining Programs
Dennis Kelly’s relationship with BinWise dates back to 2008, when he worked with the company’s developers to refine features for The French Laundry’s 15,000-bottle cellar. Many of those innovations, like purchase order editing, cellar transfers, and printable cellar books, are now standard features across the BinWise platform.
“I wanted BinWise to handle everything so I didn’t have to run multiple systems and they delivered.”
At Protege, those same capabilities allow him to manage a complex, Michelin-level program with the efficiency of a small operation.
For Michelin-level beverage programs like Protege, precision and efficiency aren’t optional, they’re essential. BinWise continues to provide Dennis Kelly and his team with a system they can trust: simple, accurate, and built for the way top hospitality professionals actually work.
Are you ready to streamline your beverage inventory like Protege? Book a demo today to see how BinWise can help your business.
