How Boathouse Shelly Beach built a faster, smarter service model with Lightspeed and me&u

From 45-minute queues to flexible service

Before implementing me&u alongside Lightspeed, ordering at Boathouse venues had become a growing operational challenge.

“Each of our venues had huge lines,” Sam explains. “This whole space we’re sitting in used to be dedicated as a line-up point.”

On busy weekends, the experience could quickly become frustrating for guests and staff alike.

“On a busy Sunday, it could take up to 45 minutes just to place an order.”

Introducing me&u’s QR ordering system fundamentally changed the way the venue operated.

“As soon as we brought me&u in, that line was abolished and we removed the ordering point altogether,” says Sam. “People could get their orders in quicker, we reduced labour costs and the guest experience improved.”

Rather than replacing hospitality, the Boathouse Group used QR ordering to create a more flexible hybrid service model across the venue.

“We’ve built hybrid service models around QR ordering,” Sam says. “Different service styles across different sections of the venue.”

That flexibility has allowed the team to better manage high-volume periods while still maintaining the relaxed, coastal hospitality experience the venue is known for.

“QR ordering gives control to guests while reducing labour inefficiencies.”

Connecting ordering, operations and reporting

For the Boathouse Group, the benefits extended far beyond ordering alone.

By integrating me&u with Lightspeed, the team gained a connected operational system spanning ordering, reporting, stock management and forecasting.

“The reporting through Lightspeed and the data from me&u into one central location is highly valuable,” says Sam.

“We get real-time data on revenue, sales and top sellers, helping forecast purchasing and rostering.”

With multiple venues and changing customer traffic driven by weather, tourism and seasonality, access to live operational data has become critical.

“It integrates with rostering software and helps predict trends, including weather impacts,” Sam explains. “It’s made forecasting from a stock, revenue and budgeting point of view far simpler and far more effective.”

That visibility now informs everything from menu development to purchasing decisions.

“You don’t make decisions without data. Otherwise, you’re just shooting in the dark,” says Sam.

Better stock control, fewer operational headaches

One of the biggest operational improvements has been inventory accuracy and out-of-stock handling.

“We run activations like specials and know exactly how many portions we have on hand,” Sam says. “You can’t oversell product, which was a major pain point before integration.”

Before connecting ordering and POS systems, even small delays between platforms could create service issues and unnecessary manual work for staff.

“There’s nothing worse than telling a guest something is unavailable after ordering,” says Sam. “It takes time away from providing service and improving the guest experience.”

Now, menu availability, stock, pricing and modifiers remain synced across the venue in real time.

“Everything flows—menu, stock, modifiers, pricing, promotions,” Sam says. “I couldn’t go back.”

Driving efficiency in a rising cost environment

As labour and operational costs continue to rise across hospitality, efficiency gains have become increasingly important for large venue groups.

“Efficiency gains are hard to quantify but significant,” Sam explains. “In a rising cost environment, small wins add up massively.”

That operational efficiency now flows through everything from service scalability to end-of-day reconciliation.

“End-of-day reconciliation is now almost instant and automated,” Sam says. “No need for manual reports or calculations.”

Processes that once required lengthy manual work can now be completed remotely in minutes.

“What used to take 30 minutes now takes under five.”

The flexibility of tablet-based infrastructure has also made it easier for the group to adapt during busy periods and scale service where needed.

“Tablet-based systems allow instant scalability during busy periods,” says Sam. “No physical infrastructure needed—far more flexible.”

Building for the future of hospitality

Sam’s journey with the Boathouse Group spans more than a decade.

“I started as a barista at Balmoral while I was at uni studying chiropractic,” he says. “Through that career I decided I wanted to be here.”

Today, he oversees new venue openings and operational projects across the group, helping scale a hospitality business that has opened five venues in the last two years alone.

That long-term perspective has shaped his view of hospitality technology.

“I’ve always embraced tech,” he says. “Now the tides have turned. If you’re not embracing it, you’re left behind.”

At Boathouse Shelly Beach, the combination of Lightspeed and me&u has helped create a service model that’s faster, more flexible and built for the realities of modern hospitality, without losing the guest experience that made the venue iconic in the first place.