AN app service has been developed and launched by a Scots firm to assist pubs and restaurants in delivering contactless table service as they re-open their doors.
The technology, from Glasgow-based firm Connect, will also allow hospitality companies to temporarily store contact information for lead customers in order to assist with Scotland’s Covid-19 tracing schemes.
It will provide businesses with their own branded app through a monthly subscription service.
Pubs and restaurants are expected to fully re-open on July 15, with safety restrictions in place.
As it stands, under Scottish Government guidelines, indoor hospitality will be limited to table service, while minimal staff and customer contact is encouraged.
Through the app, customers will be able to browse the venue’s menu, choose their food and drink, provide their table number and pay for their order online.
This ensures that physical contact with staff is dramatically reduced.
In addition, the use of their own phones to view what’s on offer means the risk of potential transmission of infection via physical menus is also avoided.
And as an added benefit to the effort to combat community transmission, the technology includes an option to make bookings, which means basic customer contact data can be collected in this way. Firms in the industry are expected to collect and keep temporary records on customers in order to assist with the NHS Test and Protect scheme.
Connect says that while the technology has been primarily designed with larger national restaurant chains in mind, it can still be used to create “bespoke” apps for smaller venues, such as individual pubs.
The platform can also be used as a home delivery app, with Connect being used by some venues during strict lockdown restrictions in order to continue serving customers.
Stuart Stott, director of Connect, said: “The Connect platform wasn’t designed with a pandemic in mind, but the services it provides will help restaurants and bars as they adapt to new ways of working.
“With table service options and the ability to temporarily store contact data, hospitality firms can use Connect to ensure they operate safely and efficiently.”
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