GoTab is now provides contact-free takeout and delivery platforms for restaurateurs like Jose Andres and Farmers Restaurant Group.
GoTab is now the go-to for contact-free takeout and delivery José Andrés and Founding Farmers
Last summer, Arlington-based tech company GoTab was busy working with bars, breweries, and beer gardens using their mobile ordering and payment platform. The system was popular with big, busy bars like Dacha Navy Yard and Franklin Hall where patrons could scan a QR code with their cell phones (no app required) and then view a menu, order, and pay without having to flag down a server. Then Covid-19 hit, and requests for the contactless system began flooding in from across the country. CEO Tim McLaughlin says his small team fielded around 500 inquiries and counting, and they’ve brought on major hospitality operations like Farmers Restaurant Group and José Andrés’ ThinkFoodGroup.
“In the old world, one of the biggest problems that GoTab solved is ‘I want a beer and I don’t want to have to find a server,’” says McLaughlin. “Now everything changed overnight, and no one wants to touch credit cards or cash anymore.”
Andrés’s restaurants are using the contact-free technology at their DC-area “community kitchens” where customers can scan a code posted outside, order, pay, and then grab bags of food to-go. Farmers Restaurant Group has embraced the platform for in-person and online ordering, pickup, and delivery as their seven locations transform into hybrid restaurant-markets selling prepared meals, grocery items, and cleaning products.
GoTab just rolled out a separate to-go platform last week, which allows businesses to deliver with their own drivers instead of relying on costly third-party services like Caviar or GrubHub. McLaughlin also made the takeout and delivery technology free to restaurants and bars facing financial turmoil amid the health crisis (previously it cost $600 to sign on plus a 15 cent charge per order). Farmers Restaurant Group CEO Dan Simons, who had to lay off 1,000 employees when his restaurants closed for dine-in service, says he hopes to bring back some staff as drivers.
“The whole business model and pricing is incredibly attractive. He [McLaughlin] is providing a tool, whereas other [third party] companies that are our ‘partners’ jam their hands in our pockets. We also keep the customer data and intel,” says Simons.
An instructional sign outside Zaytinya. Photograph by Evy Mages
As is often the case when technology supplants a human task, feathers get ruffled. When GoTab launched a few years ago, McLaughlin says the company faced pushback from industry workers who were worried their jobs being replaced. As a result, the firm focused on “low service” venues like sports bars and breweries where the tech was supportive instead of disruptive.
“We don’t see GoTab replacing people where they add a lot of value,” says McLaughlin. “The new model allows customers to work with the best servers who can now spend more time with the customers explaining things. We never thought there was a reason to flag down a waiter to pay or get another round.”
In the meantime, while dining rooms and bars are still closed to customers, GoTab is homing in on more contactless delivery options and thinking about what restaurants will need in the future.
“What happens when the curtain goes back up and the play continues? How do people manage these restaurants with what I expect are big labor shortages?,” says McLaughlin. “Amazon says they’re going to hire 100,000 people and pay them more. You’re not going to get those people back. I think we can help keep restaurants in business because I think they’ll be understaffed.”
Situated “in the heart of it all, yet tranquil enough to make you feel away from it all too,” The Limelight Hotel Snowmass offers 99 hotel rooms and 11 residences, as well as footsteps-to-gondola access in winter and summer — right in the middle of Snowmass Base Village.
The Situation
Especially over the last few years, the Limelight Hotels IT team had witnessed a significant shift to contactless technology in the hospitality industry. After evaluating friction points in the guest journey, aligning with modern technology platforms in their restaurant was determined to be an effective way to offer elevated contactless dining experiences to their guests while also evolving their technology platforms to continue to support long-term company goals. Limelight Hotel partnered with GoTab to provide an enhanced on-demand dining experience on par with the brand’s reputation for exceptional guest service.
The Solution
Reducing Staff Touch Points Without Sacrificing Guest Experience
Guests are now able to begin a tab from their room or the property’s restaurant by scanning a QR code, texting a link to friends or family members on the ski slope to add in their orders, then meeting up together at the patio or lodge to enjoy their meal and après ski festivities without interruption. By streamlining tasks like inputting orders and processing payments, this eliminates friction for hotel staff and allows them to focus on delivering renowned guest service for a memorable experience. Since partnering with GoTab, Limelight Snowmass has consistently seen higher check averages and sales.
“We found the Point of Sale platforms we were looking at offered the guest and staff limited opportunities to further reduce touch points or improve the traditional restaurant experience. The GoTab platform enabled the guest to take an active role over the flow of their experience while simultaneously reducing touch points and further streamlining restaurant operations.”Nick Giglio, Manager of Hotel IT Operations, The Little Nell Hotel Group
According to the Limelight Hotels team, some of the other platforms that were evaluated were either missing some of the pieces they were looking for, had weak customer support models, or had little willingness to develop integrations to existing hotel platforms already in place. To that end, GoTab integrated with cloud-based platform, Infor. Together, GoTab and Infor are providing dynamic solutions to support central, efficient service across hotel amenities and deliver exceptional guest experiences.
“Previously, guests would call down to the restaurant to begin an order from their room or while they were out enjoying the ski slopes. Using GoTab, guests can now place orders from anywhere on the resort, giving them the on-demand service they want without interrupting their day. GoTab empowers us to give control to the guest, reducing touch points and streamlining overall restaurant operations, making Limelight Hotel the resort of choice for Snowmass.”Nick Giglio, Manager of Hotel IT Operations, The Little Nell Hotel Group
Since introducing GoTab, The Limelight Hotel has seen a consistent level of upsells and items sold per check resulting in additional revenue capture. They have been able to maintain service levels in their restaurants during periods when there was reduced staffing available without significantly diminishing the guest experience.
The Benefits
Eliminate Phone Orders – Take Orders from the Slopes. Guests can start a tab from their room or on the mountain without interrupting the flow of their day.
Future-Proofed Technologies – Delivering elevated contactless ordering via integration with the Infor hotel management platform.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
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