From left: Flipdish founders Conor and James McCarthy. Image: Conor McCabe Photography
As restaurants around Ireland begin to reopen, Flipdish has introduced a new feature to help customers order food while limiting contact.
Today (29 June), phase three of the Irish Government’s roadmap for reopening society and business began, meaning that many businesses can reopen to the public as long as they follow guidelines to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Among the businesses allowed to reopen are pubs that serve food, cafés and restaurants. As these hospitality businesses adapt to new measures, Irish restaurant tech start-up Flipdish has launched a new table ordering system.
The system will help restaurants with new social distancing and hygiene requirements by enabling customers to order and pay directly from their own smartphones, while avoiding touching physical menus and limiting their interactions with wait staff.
Eddie Rockets will be among the first restaurants to use Flipdish’s table ordering technology, offering it to customers at 41 branches around the country. The two companies have previously partnered to build the Eddie Rockets app, which is one of the methods that can now be used for table ordering.
Table ordering
The start-up said that its new product, Flipdish Table Ordering, is suitable for all restaurants, cafés, pubs, beer gardens, hotels and takeaways reopening their doors today and in the coming weeks. It can be set up in minutes and integrated with existing point-of-sale systems.
The table ordering function is offered to consumers through a mobile app or mobile-optimised website, which can be accessed on the customer’s own phone or through a table-top tablet provided by the restaurant. A QR code will also be placed on the table to help customers access the restaurant’s online menu quickly.
In addition to ordering food and beverage selections, customers will be able to order additional items whenever and as often as they like while in the venue, without needing to interact with staff members. The platform also allows for special requests and ingredient substitutions.
James McCarthy, co-founder and COO of Flipdish, said: “We’re really excited about the timely rolling out of our table ordering technology. Menus left on tables and passed around were at the best of times unhygienic.
“This technology, which was in the development pipeline long before Covid-19, has been pushed forward to come to market in time to help businesses as they reopen and need to get in line with new social distancing and hygiene requirements while giving their guests a better customer experience.”
Headquartered in Dublin, Flipdish operates in 14 countries. The firm said that it has worked with thousands of restaurants, hotels, cafés and bars affected by the global pandemic by helping businesses pivot to takeaway and delivery models.
