Managed pub and bar group TCG is launching a new app from mobile technology providers QikServe which allows its customers to order and pay for food and drink through their smartphones. The app goes live in TCG’s flagship Henry’s Café Bar in Covent Garden tomorrow, 4th February.
Customers can download the free QikServe app – dubbed ‘the waiter in your pocket’ – and use their smartphone to scan the QR code displayed on all tables in Henry’s, which brings up the food and drink menu. They make their selection and pay from their phone – by secure card payment or PayPal – and the order is then transmitted to the bar and fulfilled in the usual way.
TCG director of operations Ben Levick said, “We’re delighted to be using mobile technology to offer our customers a new way to order food and drink at one of our flagship sites. Like a number of our most popular pubs and bars, Henry’s Covent Garden becomes incredibly busy at key trading times and even with our crack bar team, queues are inevitable.
“Ordering and paying by mobile phone gives customers the option to remain at their table all night, rather than leave their friends to replenish drinks. We’re sure it’s going to be popular, making service more efficient and leaving bartenders and waiters free to focus on the customer experience that is so important in Henry’s Café Bars.”
The QikServe app has been thoroughly tested in Henry’s ahead of launch and team members are trained on how to adapt it to incorporate changes to the food and drink offer, adding daily specials or complete menu refreshes. It can also be used to target customers with special offers and promotions.
Dustin Acton, general manager at Henry’s Cafe Bar in Covent Garden, said, “Some customers will still want to enjoy the buzz at the bar, but for others, the QikServe app will be the perfect solution to buying a round without leaving their social group.
“For our waiting team, Qikserve means they can focus on talking to our customers – recommending cocktails or explaining the day’s special dishes, for example – and can then leave the actual ordering and payment to them. It should be a real godsend during our busiest times.”
The QikServe app provides a unique mobile ordering and payment system that has already been successfully implemented across the UK and the United States in sectors ranging from casual dining and hotel room service to sports stadiums and airports.
Caption to attached image: team member Chiara Nieddu at Henry’s Café Bar Covent Garden with a group of customers using the new QikServe app
-ends-
Notes to editors
About TCG
TCG operates a diverse estate of 69 managed pubs and bars nationwide. The business has a strong foothold in London, with high-profile sites such as the flagship Tattershall Castle floating bar and restaurant on the Embankment. The estate stretches across the country from Aberdeen to Newquay, and from Cardiff to Norwich. It includes late night bars, community and sports locals, student venues and quality town centre pubs, as well as a number of trading formats, such as the Henry’s Café Bar brand, Eerie Pubs and the King’s Feast food concept.
About Qikserve
Mobile technology specialist QikServe was founded in 2011 by a team of mobile self-service experts. The company’s goal is to radically change and improve the ordering experience for customers by providing a mass adoption self-serve system. As a business QikServe is dedicated to providing integrated solutions and driving engagement and loyalty through the consumer device. The QikServe system has been deployed across the UK and United States in restaurants, bars, hotels, sports stadiums, airports and tradeshows. For more information, visit: www.qikserve.com
Issued on behalf of: TCG
By: ShielPorter Communications
Further information: Ros Shiel: ros@shielporter.com / 07841 694137
John Porter: john@shielporter.com / 07734 054389