The technology helping restaurants to trade safely post lockdown
Onvi
Onvi is billed as the hospitality industry’s fastest and most secure mobile order and pay solution, dispensing with an app in favour of a web-based platform. It requires no customer registration to give users a ‘frictionless, intuitive and reliable’ experience. Customisable to match a brand's look and feel, Onvi’s client list includes Pizza Pilgrims, Crêpeaffaire and Drake & Morgan.
Customers can order and pay at table or click and collect. When ordering ahead, customers can schedule pickup times, and be notified when orders are being prepared and are ready to collect. Onvi says its platform is simple for operators to manage, with a full suite of tools and dedicated customer support to help onboard and manage installations.
All of Onvi's features are also available via the web-based Order Display System, which can be run from a laptop or tablet. The solution is ISO/IEC 27001-certified, the globally recognised standard for information security. “It’s essential for your mobile order and pay solution to follow best practices for information security in order to protect both you and your customers’ data,” says a spokesperson. “Basic PCI compliance isn’t enough. When handling customer payments, you can’t afford to take risks.”
onvi.com
Payment Kiosks cash-accepting machines
Thanks to COVID-19, handling physical money and serving food has become a bigger issue than it was previously with many restaurants now going cashless. But many customers would still rather pay cash and it’s also important to remember that not everyone has access to a bank account. Payment Kiosks believes it has come up with a solution to ‘dirty’ cash. In a claimed industry first, the company has launched a self-serve touch screen and ordering machine that accepts cash as well as cards and dispenses change.
This, coupled with its ‘highly user-friendly‘ ordering screens, is making the machines ‘a big hit’ in the fish and chip takeaway sector, Payment Kiosks says. Sarah Lock owns five fish and chip shops in Devon and Cornwall and had a Payment Kiosks machine installed in her busy Plymouth site in the summer. She’s calculated the kiosk allows her to make a £25k saving per year through reduced staff costs and elimination of human errors.
“I wanted a kiosk after being in places like McDonald’s and seeing how effective they were, and the Payment Kiosks one is unique because it takes cash rather than just card. A lot of the market is only taking card payments now because cash is dirty, but taking card only in my line of retail is not the best option because people still have cash and want to spend it,” explains Lock. “So the kiosk is brilliant because it can take all the cash, it counts the cash, it can’t steal the cash, and it gives the right change: humans can make a mistake but the machine doesn’t.” Lock says customers don’t appear concerned about the hygiene aspect of using a touchscreen; the screen is sanitised every 20 minutes and hand gel is provided next to the kiosk.
http://www.paymentkiosks.co.uk
Yoello
Yoello – a mobile ordering and payment platform – is billed as a ‘silver bullet’ for pubs and restaurants looking to re-open safely according to its non-executive director Scott Waddington, the former CEO of Welsh brewer S. A. Brain. Because of its FCA regulated status, Yoello can cut out ‘middlemen’ payment providers and give pubs and restaurants ‘a cheaper, instant, and totally secure way to manage payments, potentially saving the industry £8 billion a year’.
“If pubs and restaurants are to survive, it’s essential they can re-open safely as soon as possible,” says Waddington. “Yoello is the silver bullet they need to do just that. Inside of one week, any venue can have its own mobile ordering and payment platform up and running from as little as £1.30 a day.”
Waddington is joined on the Yoello board by a number of heavyweights from the banking world, including David Hopton, former managing director of Santander and ex-director of the Bank of England. “Every year the UK hospitality sector hands over £8b to payment providers like Worldpay, Mastercard, and Visa," says Hopton.
As the only mobile ordering solution that is FCA regulated, they’re the only company able to offer the cheaper bank to bank payments – saving merchants thousands in unnecessary charges.”
Customers don’t need to download an app, they simply scan a QR code to bring up the menu, click to order, then make their secure mobile payment. Other functionality includes allowing customers to leave tips and reviews.
Ordamo
A sister company of the Inamo restaurant group, Ordamo allows diners to order drinks and dishes from a restaurant’s menu using their mobile phones and also pay at the table, ‘minimising interaction with staff while still getting the full restaurant experience’.
Alongside own device contact-free ordering, Ordamo also offers tablet ordering, and digital kiosks. Alongside ordering and fully customisable digital menus, Ordamo also offers a management platform to improve guest loyalty and engagement and a data suite that allows restaurants to get meaningful insights to improve guest experience.
“I believe Covid-19 has been a real catalyst for change,” says Ordamo chief revenue officer Rupert Gutteridge. “For the first time we are seeing a movement of technology away from the operators behind the bars and the waiting staff and putting it into the hands of the consumer.”
“A lot of consumer confidence has been affected by the Covid situation so getting people to come back into restaurants is going to be a big challenge. By providing this technology we’re able to enhance the levels of confidence consumers have.”
Deliverect
In response to the pandemic Deliverect is moving to an ‘omnichannel’ approach, giving restaurants more integration options and more ordering flexibility for customers both remotely and in situ. Deliverect - whose clients include Dishoom and Tonkotsu - connects restaurant ePOS system to third-party delivery platforms such as Uber Eats, Just Eat and Deliveroo alongside other online ordering platforms including Flipdish.
Key functionality includes the ability to adjust menus on the fly - for example testing out new dishes or making items unavailable - and detailed reporting that allows operators to analyse, optimise and grow online sales channels.
“Our starting point when creating Deliverect was to give restaurants the tools they need to remain competitive in a digital world,” says founder Zhong Xu, who raised an additional €16.25m to support his expansion plans earlier this year. “I grew up in the restaurant industry, so am acutely aware of the often-slim margins and the fundamental need to serve as many customers as possible.”
“Our founding team is responsible for creating one of the first iPad-based POS systems, which is now used around the world, so we’ve experienced challenges in this industry from both sides. With the proliferation of online delivery services, restaurants deserve to be able to take advantage of them all.”
BCH Digital SMS messaging service
BCH Digital has launched a new SMS messaging service that allows customers to order food and drink and provides data to the Government’s Track and Trace system. My Round sees customers enter a phone number into their mobile phone and then text orders for staff to fulfil before picking them up from a designated area, thereby reducing bottlenecks.
“We are really excited to launch My Round, a simple and inexpensive mobile ordering system, which will support the hospitality industry as it re-opens,” says BCH Digital’s John Hanson. “As an SMS messaging service, it does not discriminate against those that might not have a smartphone, as it can be used in low signal areas, especially in those more rural locations.”
“My Round will also capture customers’ mobile numbers securely, instead of enabling punters to potentially register false details via apps. My Round also addresses the Track and Trace recommendations in line with the latest Government guidelines, to ensure that those vital pieces of personal data can be made available to meet any new Government directive.”
QSR Automations
Kitchen automation and guest management expert QSR Automations has added new contactless features to its ConnectSmart Kitchen and DineTime solutions.
QSR Automations’ ConnectSmart Kitchen (CSK) or DineTime customers can now easily create and print QR codes to join the waitlist, providing diners with a contactless way to join the waitlist for a restaurant, and can also add a QR code link to receipts, allowing operators to point guests to any relevant website including digital menus, loyalty programs, COVID-19 policies, promotional offers or online payment options from the comfort of their own device.
QSR Automation customers can also leverage two-way SMS to notify diners of order status updates from ConnectSmart Kitchen, including when the order is complete – allowing for no-contact pickup.
“As the restaurant industry continues recovery efforts from the pandemic, we’re going to see more and more social distancing measures required,” says QSR Automations CEO Lee Leet. “These latest feature enhancements provide simple ways operators can ease hesitations and offer safe environments for both on-premise and off-premise diners.”
OpenUp
Designed to help small businesses reopen as soon as possible in keeping with Government guidelines, OpenUp is among the first online customer tracing solutions for F&B and leisure operators. It allows customers to virtually sign-in by texting a number along with the venue’s unique code. All the data collected will be stored in a secure online database that can be quickly and securely sent to NHS Test and Trace, if required.
The ‘simple and easy’ to use contactless system using SMS technology, meaning customers do not require smartphone access and do not need to download a new app. Designed by the company behind the recently launched Gotowork.me, a personalised booking software system created to help office staff safely return to work, OpenUp.business is available as either a ‘basic’ or ‘venue branded’ package, for £129 or £179 respectively.
OpenUp says it will supply businesses with everything they need to reopen in less than 24 hours, including printable customer sign-in instructions and social distancing markers.
OrderPay
OrderPay is described as a hospitality ‘super app’ that supports a sector-wide coalition of leading eating and drinking out businesses across 6,000 venues. OrderPay technology provides a ‘seamless’ ordering and payment experience, with no location or table number entry required. Payment can be made immediately or automatically taken on departure, with the option to split the bill before or after ordering.
The app includes a number of features that Orderpay says will be key for venues now and in the future, including leveraging beacon technology, which allows the app to identify where customers are sat in a venue, and a ‘Tap and Go’ function that gives operators the ability to offer their customers a self-service solution through scanning and payment for a product off the shelf.
OrderPay has already partnered with leading operators such as Stonegate, PizzaExpress, Cote and Drake & Morgan. The app is available for consumers to download now to coincide with the reopening of hospitality.
Slerp
Direct-to-consumer online ordering solution Slerp has launched a table ordering service, allowing on-premise customers to order direct to their table via their phone. The new order direct to table functionality will enable people to use Slerp for traditional table ordering, orders for pickup at the bar, stalls in parks and food halls, pints-to-go while maintaining a safe social distance from restaurant staff and other diners.
The move comes amidst rapid growth for the Slerp business, which says it has helped hundreds of businesses pivot to an online ordering and on-demand delivery model. Slerp customers include JKS Restaurants (Gymkhana, Sabor, Brigadiers), Angela Hartnett’s Café Murano, Ottolenghi and José Pizarro.
“As restaurants look to begin re-opening in July, it’s really important that businesses choose the right tech partner to connect with customers and meet their demands. Slerp is built by operators, for operators,” says JP Then, the founder of both Slerp and London doughnut business Crosstown.
“We’re tried and tested, and you can see this in the multiple high-profile operators who have trusted us as their online ordering partner. Businesses need a partner with the full suite of options to really drive revenue and connect with their customers. With direct to table ordering, Slerp can be trusted to help businesses to deliver both on premise and at home”.
Launched in 2019, Slerp is described as an online ordering, direct-to-consumer technology, which plugs into a retailers existing website, enabling them to take control of their customer journey and relationships and offer on-demand delivery, pickup or order at table.
Sprout
Marketing automation platform Sprout has launched a free-to-use check in app that allows venues to capture customers details and help with the NHS Track and Trace scheme. The Check In app uses the same system in use across the company’s Australian customer base and is now being made available to all hospitality venues in the UK to support their reopening requirements.
Customers check-in at the venue easily by scanning a QR code on entry or once they have been seated, with no requirement for them to download an app. Using secure GDPR Compliant infrastructure, the venue captures and securely stores the data with the date and time of check-in. It can then access and export the data at any time with a search / filter for any given date in response to track and trace associated with potential outbreaks.
The initiative is based on current guidelines and can be changed easily based upon new regulations and requirements as they emerge, it says. “During these trying and challenging times, we want to help – we are all in this together,” says Sprout UK & EMEA director Dhilon Solanki. “It is vital both customers and staff feel safe when restaurants and bars open again, and we aim to give these venues peace of mind.”
All data collected by the Check In App is stored and deleted as per Govt guidelines. Data is only accessible by the Check In App account holder. The free app is suitable for all operators in the hospitality industry, with both single or multi-sites.
Venues looking to take advantage of Sprouts free initiative can sign up here.
Wireless Social’s Track and Trace system
Wi-Fi services provider Wireless Social has reported that more than 70 brands have signed up to the track and trace product developed in partnership with analytics company, Purple AI. Since launching the product to the on-trade earlier this month, Wireless Social has reported that whilst it is not compulsory to sign up, there has been an average increase of 79.4% in new users logging into the Wi-Fi with average opt-in percentages rising from 4% to 65.4%.
This means the overall increase in data available to brands using the track and trace solution is 90.63%, which Wireless Social says highlights that not only is there an opportunity for a deeper understanding of customer behaviour, but also that guests are more open than ever to communication with brands.
Visitors are asked to register their name and phone number when logging onto the venue’s Wi-Fi. Their data is then stored securely for 21 days, and is only passed over to the NHS Test and Trace service if a case is reported within the venue. Wireless Social processes data via a seamless repeat registration process for customers visiting venues.
“At the heart of our solution was keeping the UK, our customers, and their guests, safe from a second wave of COVID19,” says Wireless Social CEO Julian Ross. “In a time, where brands want to protect the wellbeing of the UK and gather as much insight into their guests and their behaviour, the Wireless Social solution has provided an effortless way to do this.”
Tissl Horizon
Tissl says its existing Horizon cloud-based EPOS solution is well-suited to the current in-restaurant trading environment because it already offers a host of ordering options for customers. Operating on multiple operating systems, Horizon will accept orders from mobile phones by way of texts, URLs and QR Codes and - unlike some solutions - does not require an app to be downloaded.
Tissl says such an approach means the customer can take responsibility for letting the restaurants know about any allergies or special requests, can amend the order at any time and can pay using both digital wallets and card. Because Horizon is a cloud-based solution. restaurants can re-use their existing hardware in most cases and simply pay for the software on a monthly subscription.
“We have seen a big change in consumer behaviour already, with millennials expecting the faster more efficient service and payment options they know is made possible with latest technology," says Tissl managing director Kevin Coetzee "Understanding these trends was key to our design and already part of the development roadmap for Horizon. The Covid-19 pandemic has bought this inevitable change sooner than we thought but developing using latest technologies enables us to react quickly and without any technical limitations.”
Deliveroo Table Service
Deliveroo says that more than 2,000 of its restaurant partners have signed up to Table Service, a contactless dine-in tool designed to help restaurants, bars and pubs reopen safely. Table Service allows customers to order via the Deliveroo app, which Deliveroo says enables social distancing for both customers and staff. There is 0% commission on drinks and dine-in orders placed through the Deliveroo app.
Deliveroo is also offering ‘affordable’ PPE equipment and free store signage to help staff and customers stay safe. “Deliveroo wants to play a significant role to support pubs and bars during COVID-19," says Deliveroo CEO Will Shu. "They are at the heart of so many communities and it is vital that they receive as much support as possible. That is why we are constantly looking for new ways to support their growth and success and will be ramping up efforts in the coming weeks and months.”
“Table service is a fantastic ‘out of the box’ solution for pubs, especially those who don’t have the time or budget to develop contact-free dining tech themselves," says PieMinister founder and managing director Tristan Hogg. "Table Service will give smaller pubs a lifeline to navigate this crisis and we will be encouraging the pubs where we work to use it.”
Crave Interactive
Crave Interactive says it has been delivering digital guest experiences across the world for over 10 years and that its ServeSafely solution has already helped many establishments re-open successfully and maximise revenue whilst operating safely. The order and pay solution is web-based so customers simply use their own mobile phone to scan a QR code for instant access; there’s no app to download or registration required, which Crave Interactive says makes it fast and easy to use. With a ‘comprehensive and sophisticated’ menu (customisable to complement the brand and needs of each business) customers have control of their orders, modifying options for dietary requirements and adding extras with up-sell suggestions before paying securely with Apple Pay and Google Pay are both supported.
The modular solution has additional features such as pre-ordering, scheduled menus and dynamic pricing plus takeaway and delivery options. With a ‘simple to use’ back-of-house system, Crave also offers transaction reports, 24/7 support, set up and a Test & Trace function. “We have looked at every part of the restaurant and pub experience and adapted our technology so customers can feel safe,” says Crave CEO Gareth Hughes. “By minimising personal interactions, doing away with paper menus, payment terminals and cash, our technology is empowering customers and enabling businesses to continue to survive, and thrive."
