Ei Publican Partnerships has partnered with Round to support its publicans with a contactless ordering and payment app across its estate.
Once pubs reopen, customers can download the Round app on their own phone, search for their local Ei Publican Partnerships pub and order and pay for food and drink at the table straight from their phones. Each pub will have its own individual menus that customers will be able to choose from.
The integration of Round into the estate comes as a response to the COVID-19 crisis. By allowing customers to order from their tables, Round will help to minimise queue time and help implement social distancing in venues.
Round also enables pubs to communicate with their customers, instantly. As soon as a customer goes to a pub landing page on the app, they will be welcomed with real-time information on menus, opening times and health and safety measures. The pubs will also be able to promote offers and incentives through the app, exclusive to their customers.
Nick Light, Managing Director of Ei Publican Partnerships, said: “This is an exciting venture for us and one of several initiatives we have been working on to help support our publicans.
“Round understand and appreciate that no two leased and tenanted pubs are the same and have developed an app that is flexible and easy to use for not only all our publicans but also our customers.
“I am delighted that we have found a solid and emergent partner in Round that is able to expand and develop with all our businesses as well as support the wider industry recovery at a time when social distancing is set to play an influential part in the overall customer experience.”
Ethan Martin, CEO of Round, added: “We are really excited to be partnering with Ei Publican Partnerships to launch Round. They are leaders in their field and their model gives us the opportunity to support publicans which was always our mission.
“We began developing Round in 2018 when I was still at University and saw a need for better interaction and service at pubs, coffee shops and restaurants – it is one of the only remaining sectors that hasn’t used technology to their advantage and we wanted to change – enabling both businesses and customers to benefit from mobile ordering – taking hospitality into the 21st Century.
“Whilst we fully understand the need for current pub closure, we are excited for the plans to reopen and are particularly excited that Round will be part of the solution in navigating what ‘new normal’ will look like in terms of business and social life.  We have thoroughly enjoyed working with the team at Ei Publican Partnerships and look forward to a partnership which will facilitate an evolution in this sector.”
The app is available on Android and iOS devices and supports Apple Pay and Google Pay, as well as credit/debit card payments. The payment schedule to the publican is the same as a contactless payment on a PDQ machine – same day payment.