The co-founder of UK events group Bongo’s Bingo has spent his lockdown developing an app to streamline contactless ordering for bars and restaurants.
Called Glug, the app enables contactless ordering while also giving customers the ability to set up a profile of their own, making it easier for consumers to plan social outings at other venues, and for brands to appeal to consumers they know might be interested in their offer.
Joshua Burke, who launched his bingo club night company in April 2015, has spent the past three years developing the service alongside business partners Carl Whiteside and Lewis Allbones.
To use Glug, customers must download the app, which lets them see a participating outlet’s full menu, place their order, and pay through the app itself, eliminating the need for cash or cards.
“We have raised £250,000 of investment already,” Burke said, adding that he is already working with venues “through Bongo’s Bingo and the wider hospitality circles we are all part of.”
The three entrepreneurs partnered with David Gallimore, who has created a number of mobile tools for hospitality businesses such as Wetherspoons, Pizza Express, Mitchells and Butlers, Greene King, Fullers.
“With David on board, we have got his many years of vital experience in this area too,” Burke said.
“We have seen what kind of works and what doesn’t, and believe Glug will be the definitive way forward. It will help businesses and their customers by linking them together, with the free app’s users able to engage in a whole host of innovative functions.
“As an example, each year we waste on average 7 days waiting to be served – that’s a real frustration point for me personally and professionally! Glug will make waiting around a thing of the past and improve many other parts of this relationship. With reduced capacity due to social distancing, venues will want to maximise their revenue and how they engage with customers.”
