ALH Group, the nation’s largest pub group, has formed an exclusive partnership with me&u to roll-out its contactless ordering system throughout its venues.
The roll-out is currently underway and will be live across all 330 ALH pubs by mid-year. This is includes the group’s flagship pubs of Young and Jackson’s (Melbourne), The Queens (Perth), Ramsgate Hotel (Adelaide), Crows Nest Hotel (Sydney) and the Breakfast Creek Hotel (Brisbane) which are all expected to roll-out shortly.
The first ALH pub to implement the POS tech was The Cheeky Squire in Frankston four weeks ago. Since then, 70 per cent of orders made in the pub have come through the me&u system as opposed to over the bar, and spend has increased.
“We’re committed to improving our guest experience by combining our team with the best technology, so we’re excited to work with the me&u team. We looked at every platform on the market, and no brand is more passionate about facilitating social experiences and good times around the table,” stated ALH Group co-owner Bruce Mathieson.
ALH is expected to use key data-driven features of me&u, tailoring the ordering experience to the guest. Features that caught the attention of ALH include the ability for venues to select a single product from their menu and promote it as the first thing that a customer will see when they view the menu; the introduction of ‘Quick Sells’, recommendations of food items to accompany drink orders; and the encouragement of group rounds, with a prompt that allows a user to add the previous rounds of drinks to their cart in one click.
The partnership with ALH is a major one for me&u, which has already been working with groups like Merivale, Solotel, Howard Smith Wharves and Rockpool Dining Group over the past year.
“This is a true game-changer for me&u and a testament to the team who have worked tirelessly to create the smartest menu on the planet. We’re passionate about blending great tech with customer service to elevate the guest experience and transform operations,” stated founder and CEO Stevan Premutico.
“ALH looked extensively at every platform on the market, so this is an extremely proud moment for us to partner with Australia’s largest hospitality group. We are ready and raring to help change the future of hospitality with a true global leader in hospitality.”
Details in the data
Premutico presented at the Pub Leaders Summit last month on the changing behaviours in consumer spending since the beginning of the pandemic, noting that suburban venues – where the majority of ALH pubs are located – have seen a 15 per cent increase in trade in the last 12 months, to the detriment of CBD venues. me&u’s data also suggests that the Friday night trade – normally boosted by after-work drinks has declined slightly, while Saturday trade has seen a 14 per cent jump across the board.
me&u’s data also suggests that by implementing the contactless tech, patrons are spending on average 27.5% more when able to order at table, while staff can focus on the business of hospitality rather than taking orders.
“The hospitality industry has been brought to its knees over the past year, and whilst we are certainly on the road to recovery, there is still a long way to go. Technology must be used to support and strengthen the industry, not take away from it, and I’m energised by the role it can play in business recovery.”
Image: Steven Woodburn