Grind & Co hit Crowdcube target and launch mobile ordering app

The company is planning to use the investment to build a sixth London-based Grind with an on-site roastery, and develop its own app.

With a maximum target of £1.5m the group will continue to take investments for the remaining 15 days of the funding drive.

Grind co-founder David Abrahamovitch told BigHospitality that the response had been unanticipated.

“It’s a scary process - obviously we were hopeful but you never know how it will go," he said.

"Hopefully we will push through the million mark soon enough, so we’re really pleased. All of the additional money will be used to make more Grind’s.”

Apps and Apple Pay​

The Grind founders are self-confessed tech addicts, with the Shoreditch site becoming one of the first UK restaurants to take a payment through Apple Pay yesterday (14 July).​

Funded by the CrowdCube investment, the Grind app will launch in early August and feature Apple Pay built in alongside mobile ordering.

“You will be able to use the app to order and pay for your coffee as you walk towards the Grind and then come in and pick it up,” said Abrahamovitch.

The app will also incorporate the company loyalty scheme allowing users to continue earning points without having to carry the physical loyalty card.

“We love tech and like to use it whenever we can in the business,” said Abrahamovitch.

“Instead of taking orders through paper tickets or writing on cups we have iPads mounted on the coffee machines which display what needs to be made. This makes ordering faster and allows us to monitor to the second how long it takes us to make coffee.

“I think Apple Pay is awesome and I can’t wait to get rid of lots of my cards out of my pocket!”

The 'Grind Bond' will run on Crowdcube until 30 July​.