GETTING SO’USE – OVER NEW HOSPITALITY APP
Picture left to right: Ben Wollscheid, Thomas Niermann, Joachim Müller and Benedikt Pilz.
DORCAS MEDIA is working with a German tech firm to promote its PR and marketing ambitions – to grow in the South West of England/UK market.
SO’USE based in Leipzig is run by a team of young entrepreneurs looking to work with hospitality businesses in the West Country – after developing a digital menu, ordering, and payment system.
The tech company has raised over £600K and installed its innovative digital menu ordering and payment system in more than 100 outlets across Central Europe – and now looking to pilot its services in the South West for its entry point to the British market.
SO’USE is based in the east German city of Leipzig and has developed technology that allows customers in a bar, cafe, or restaurant to make orders and pay via their smartphones without having to get out of their seats or speak to a waiter, but also without having to download an app.
Instead, customers use their phones to scan a QR code which takes them to a website containing all the outlet’s menu choices, said Ben Wollscheid, SO’USE, Managing Director. “It also allows them to pay securely too, even by cash if they want, and leave a tip for the staff, and receive a digital receipt and is GDPR compliant.”
“We launched our technology in 2021, but already it is used in more than 100 outlets in 30 cities throughout Germany.”
“It is also growing customers throughout central Europe, including Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Romania, and Bulgaria.”
“We are looking to run a pilot in the UK, and are focussing on the South West because of its huge number of hospitality businesses,” he said.
“The West Country is the perfect place with a high density of gastronomic businesses and a lot of tourist traffic which makes this area strong for our system.”
“We expect interest to be high and are scouting local companies and looking to build up a group of pilot customers in the area,” said Mr Wollscheid.
“Eventually we hope to cover the whole UK market, and see the South West as a way into the UK marketplace.”
Mr Wollscheid said Germany, like the UK, has been suffering from a shortage of staff in the hospitality industry, with 20% of posts currently unfilled.
“There are many outlets that can’t offer a full opening time because they have run out of staff,” he said.
The SO’USE system allows businesses to cope with staff shortages more easily, by easing the workload and thereby increasing sales, and negates the need for customers to download multiple apps if visiting many venues, or even register at an outlet,” he said.
“Our main focus has been Germany and working with big venues, bars, and restaurants, where there are long walking distances for staff and guests.”
“We can monetise by implanting food and beverage brands into the system and collect the impressions generated in an outlet with the clicks generated, and can then ask the brands to pay us for generating those impressions and clicks,” added Mr Wollscheid.
SO’USE was founded in 2018 by Mr Wollscheid, Thomas Niermann, Joachim Müller and Benedikt Pilz, to develo its SAAS (Software as a Service) tech for the hospitality sector.
Anyone looking for more information about SO’USE can view on its web portal: https://so-use.de/de/