Food service firm launches new pub and restaurant ordering app

A Nottingham-based food service supplier has launched an app to help independent pubs and restaurants across the city resume trading after lockdown.

The Pub Order app, developed by MKG Foods, is available to download on Android, Apple® iPhone® or iPad® and can be used in a range pubs and restaurants in Nottingham, allowing customers to order food and drinks in advance without the need to queue.

Not only will the app help reduce waiting times, it will allow customers to pay via their devices, minimising the need for contact with staff members to hand over cash.

Free for members of the public to download, the app also comes at no cost for existing MKG Foods partners for at least the next 12 months, with others required to pay a small subscription fee. MKG Foods will also be offering free access to the app for local hospitality businesses affected the most by the pandemic.

After signing up, businesses will be given access to a portal where they can amend menu listings if items go out of stock and will be assigned their own account manager who they can contact around the clock for immediate technical support.

MKG Foods usually supplies food for schools, hotels, restaurants, care homes and football clubs, including Nottingham Forest FC, but, since lockdown, has identified new ways to diversify.

Philip Mayling, director of MKG Foods, said: “As it stands, the conditions and rules around pubs and restaurants reopening on 4th July remain unclear, but one thing we know for sure is it’s going to be a really different experience to what we were all used to before lockdown.

“The biggest challenges for hospitality businesses will be ensuring staff and customers can adhere to social distancing guidelines, and the usual ‘queue at the bar’ systems won’t be an option. Many big national chains will be provided with the technology needed to take orders, but independent local pubs and restaurants are unlikely to have the same luxury or the means to develop their own apps in time for reopening.

“The hospitality industry is crucial to the Nottingham and wider economy and we want to do our bit to help local independents make the transition back to trading as seamless as possible. The Pub Order app is simple to use and makes food and drink orders straight forward for both customers and staff with no contact needed.”