Talking Tech: Hole in one

Tech-driven competitive socialising concept Puttshack has used EPoS provider Tevalis to ensure its food and drink service is as slick as its crazy golf. Think mini golf, and you tend to picture a miniature golf course in a park, with groups of people trying to putt their ball into a hole via various obstacles, before jotting down scores on a card.

But at Puttshack, cutting edge technology has transformed mini golf into an exciting new gaming phenomenon.

A combination of restaurant, bar and entertainment venue, at Puttshack in London’s White City you can enjoy some great food and drink along with a truly high tech game of mini golf – all without having to worry about the weather or even write down a single score.

Puttshack uses Trackaball technology, meaning the ball knows who it belongs to, how many times it’s been hit, how far it has moved, how well you did on your previous visits and, most importantly, if you are winning.

What’s more, Puttshack’s revolutionary technology means the computer does all the scoring for you, eliminating any chance of cheating and leaving you spare hands for your drinks.

And with the latest technology being so completely central to what Puttshack does, it’s no surprise the company wanted an EPoS provider that shares its innovative approach to tech.

Tevalis was chosen for the job, and its ethos is so closely aligned with Puttshack that Tevalis will soon be rolled out to the company’s forthcoming new openings at Lakeside (due summer 2019) and Bank (scheduled for autumn 2019).

Puttshack general manager Shane Lee Safi explains: “We were looking for a system that was more adaptable than the one we were using: our business is very fast paced so we want the ability to change things at a moment’s notice, and Tevalis gives us that ability.

“At the moment Tevalis is only being used in Puttshack but due to the fact it’s so versatile and it gives us everything we want, we are planning to roll it out into future venues.”

In Puttshack’s 750-capacity venue in Westfield Tevalis has installed 12 tills, two Kitchen Management units and six tablets for handheld ordering which Shane says “all communicate with each other virtually seamlessly”.

Among the biggest benefits Tevalis brings to Puttshack is the business insight provided through the cloud-based Enterprise Suite.

“The Enterprise Suite has really been one of the defining factors of Tevalis. It allows us to get real-time business analysis with regards especially to things like wages and revenue, and allows us to make business decisions on the fly,” says Shane.

“It’s really streamlined our ordering process too, as it’s allowed us to have an up-to-date view of what’s in and what’s out of stock. With regards to stock management, stock control and stock take, it’s made life a lot easier in terms of recording the stock take and getting your actual GPs that actually mean something – it’s really great.”

Puttshack also believes the product analysis that Tevalis’s technology provides has been invaluable to the business’s success.

“One of the other best uses of Tevalis is for product analysis, looking at items which within certain periods of the business sell better than other periods. It shows us these trends which is really helpful, as it allows us to cycle our menu options and really tailor them to what the customer needs,” adds Shane.

And Puttshack has been impressed with the level of support it receives from Tevalis, as well as the way that Tevalis is continually making enhancements to the system.

“We’ve had great support from Tevalis, from the installation with regards to the set up of all the tills and the drawers, through to the printing to our exact specifications which has been absolutely phenomenal. The text support is on hand 24/7 and we don’t have to wait very long,” says Shane.

“Plus the other added benefit is that they update us about the automatic updates which we don’t even have to ask for – they are continually looking at bettering the system for us, which is fantastic.”

Shane Lee Safi, ​
general manager, Puttshack​

How Puttshack clubs together with Tevalis hospitality tech to drive its success ​

What piece of technology from Tevalis do you feel has changed the business most and why?​​​

Our hand-held tablets: these allow us to be mobile in our vast venue and put through orders as well as adjust bills and answer customer questions in real time.

Having great technology in place requires great planning. How has the process/relationship with Tevalis been to date from an implementation point of view?​​

The process has been very smooth. Installation was done in its entirety in a single day, followed later by remote programming and updating. Tevalis followed up with hands-on training for the staff and multiple management training sessions for the centralised system.

What’s next for Puttshack and your technology? Will you continue to innovate with your technology?​

We consider ourselves to be a tech-led company so we will always look for ways to develop and incorporate technology into our experience to benefit both our staff and our customers. Hospitality has become a bit like a shark in terms of industries, you have to keep innovating or your brand will die.

What technology do you think is going to be the ‘next big thing’? ​

I think the next big thing will be ordering and paying straight from your mobile from within the venue, with hospitality venues focusing more on quality and delivery of products and activities along with service.