Success story: Loungers

Loungers was founded back in 2002 by three friends whose ambition was to create a neighbourhood café-bar that they would want to go to. Since then, it has expanded to nearly 200 sites across England and Wales under two distinct but complementary brands: Lounge and Cosy Club.

Lounge cleverly combines elements of a restaurant, British pub, and coffee shop, while Cosy Clubs celebrates the world of more relaxed dining and drinking in an opulent yet welcoming setting, topped with first-class service. Both brands have a strong reputation for value for money, a focus on hospitality and culture, and appeal to everyone, regardless of age, demographic, or gender.

From responding to regulations imposed on us, implementing Orderbee has turned out to be a great decision for Loungers and is continuing to improve our offering in ways we would never have predicted.

Rewriting the Rules

Loungers aims to create a unique experience for their guests, with the rapport between staff and customers being a vital aspect of that experience. Prior to the pandemic, the café and bar group had always been hesitant to introduce any customer-facing technology, fearing it would diminish their special relationships with patrons. However, as the country emerged from the first COVID-19 lockdown, it became evident that technology could assist in adhering to various regulations regarding social distancing, table service, and minimizing social contact.

Identifying the Right Solution

With time of the essence, Loungers identified the key factors they needed from an order and pay solution:

• A simple, user-friendly, and easily accessible solution for customers, avoiding the need for a downloadable app that requires signing in.
• Strong integration with POS to maintain visibility of sales data.
• A solution that enhances rather than hinders the customer experience.
• A supplier with proven success and recommendations from other hospitality operators.
• Capability for rapid rollout and straightforward team training.
• Easy management of the refund process.
• An intuitive order and pay solution with options for further integration.

Implementation of Orderbee

After seeking feedback from fellow operators and conducting an intensive assessment of available order and pay solutions, Loungers identified Orderbee as the right choice for their needs.

After speaking with Orderbee, we knew they would fit and work well with the Loungers ethos,” said Lee Everson, Loungers Head of IT. “We were impressed by their confidence in delivering what we needed within our ambitious timescales. Our conversations were open and frank, giving us reassurance that this was a company with the skills to deliver what we needed, when we needed it.

Orderbee was quickly implemented, trialed, and rolled out across the Loungers estate in a rapid timeframe.

Key Successes

• Orderbee enabled Loungers to reopen successfully after lockdown.
• Reporting mechanisms are clear and intuitive.
• Enhanced visibility of orders for front-of-house staff.
• Customized branding improves recognition, adding design value alongside functionality.
• CRM integration resulted in a 70% increase in feedback, providing succinct, specific, and constructive information.
• Highlighted the need for improved guest Wi-Fi and internet services, enhancing the customer experience.
• Reduced pre-existing pain points, such as the need to queue at the bar, leading to an increase in drink orders.
• Sites can now extend their offerings to include a click-and-collect service via Orderbee.
• Increased use of order and pay technology has allowed sites to remain open or extend trading hours, even with reduced front-of-house staff due to isolation and other absences.

The future of Orderbee and Loungers

We knew that combining the efficiency of Orderbee with ongoing personal contact with our customers was important. As we greet guests, we now offer them the option to scan a QR code or order at the bar.

Orderbee will be key to our plans for running promotions and upselling as our technology transformation continues. We also intend to manage communication about allergen information through Orderbee to supplement the current need to refer guests to a team member.

Quite simply, Orderbee enabled Loungers to provide an invaluable and flexible service offering when reopening after lockdown,” said Lee Everson. “We still see over 50% of transactions made through the solution, but it has provided much more than just a functional service; it’s changed the way we use our technology and interact with customers.