Hospitality professionals gathered for a fantastic evening at the first-ever Lightspeed Edge event, filled with fascinating discussions, cutting-edge product reveals, and a night of networking. Hosted by renowned Daily Telegraph restaurant critic and MasterChef UK guest judge, William Sitwell, the event buzzed with a shared enthusiasm for the future of the hospitality industry—and we’re confident in saying that every single attendee got something positive out of the night.
Let’s explore some of the evening’s key highlights and takeaways.
A Welcoming Vision from Dax
Lightspeed Founder & CEO, Dax Dasilva, kicked off the evening with an inspiring vision for the company’s future. He underscored the crucial and ever-evolving role of technology in empowering European hospitality businesses, expressing his deep commitment to developing innovative tools that not only streamline operations but also actively fuel growth and elevate the guest experience.
“What we’re doing is enabling and empowering ambitious entrepreneurs to build legendary neighborhood businesses, and that’s what gets our team excited.” – Dax Dasilva, Founder and CEO of Lightspeed.
Introducing the Innovative Tableside with Mobile Tap
The unveiling of Lightspeed Tableside with Mobile Tap, presented by Senior Product Leader Liz McDonnell, was preceded by a tale of runway breakfast logistics that has to be heard to be believed! Liz highlighted how Lightspeed Restaurant is evolving beyond traditional ePOS to meet modern customer demands. Attendees quickly grasped the transformative potential of Tableside with Mobile Tap, enabling seamless payment acceptance anywhere and offering versatile bill-splitting capabilities.
Liz then discussed the “Suite Effect”—compounding the front of house, back of house, and back office through Lightspeed KDS, Lightspeed Tableside, and the Lightspeed Pulse app—captivating the room with its promise of boosted efficiency and profitability.
A Deep Dive into Benchmarks & Trends
Lightspeed’s SVP Hospitality Adoniram Sides further fueled the evening with a discussion on shifting consumer restaurant preferences, emphasizing that building a strong digital footprint isn’t just an opportunity; it’s now a necessity. For instance, one report from Social Sprout found that 90% of people buy from brands they follow on social media.
Adoniram then showcased what we’d all been waiting for: Benchmarks & Trends; a feature new to Europe which is designed to transform personalized data into actionable restaurant strategies.
Next, Adoniram took us on a deep dive into its game-changing features, including how it provides insights by analyzing your performance directly against local competitors, offering tailored benchmarks on sales, pricing, and operational efficiency, regardless of your business size.
Adoniram recognized that operators often lack visibility into what’s happening outside their restaurants’ four walls. When operators need to answer questions like, ‘It felt slow last night. Is it me, or is it the market?’ or ‘Should I adjust pricing?’, etc., they can often find themselves in the dark, or wasting time gathering market insights.
By revealing benchmarks for key business metrics (sales, price, table turn time, etc.) based on similar restaurants in the region, Benchmarks & Trends can give a deep sweep and advise aspects such as comparing your daily sales to your typical sales over the previous four weeks, or viewing an in-depth summary of the previous day’s performance.
“Lightspeed is going to offer you and the industry a really powerful tool. It’s a groundbreaking way to understand actually how you are doing relative to the market that you’re in, relative to restaurants like you, and we want to make it easy for you to do so.” – Adoniram Sides, SVP Hospitality, Lightspeed.
Chris Fletcher on technology driving hospitality forward
Chris Fletcher, founder of Tech on Toast, shared his extensive expertise on what to consider when investing in technology for your restaurant. Chris advised focusing on what he calls the ‘trifecta of tech’: guest friction, team functionality, and real results. Minimizing guest friction means ensuring a seamless experience, from ordering to payment and review—a seemingly simple concept often complicated by the industry’s notorious integration challenges. Ensuring your technology solutions work harmoniously is paramount for a positive guest journey.
Chris then continued, making the point that, beyond the customer, you need to consider your team. Technology should enhance their efficiency and be intuitive to use. Empowering your staff with well-designed tools fosters adoption and should make their job smoother. Finally, Chris advised us to focus on tangible results. Don’t just look at theoretical benefits; establish clear metrics with your tech partners to measure the impact of new technology on areas like efficiency, cost savings, and customer feedback.
Another crucial point Chris talked about was reinventing the guest journey. To truly reinvent the guest journey, according to Chris, businesses must create a seamless and intuitive experience. From initial discovery on platforms like TikTok and subsequent Google searches, right through to effortless ordering and payment options. Offering customers ample choice during the ordering and payment processes is paramount to satisfaction.
Furthermore, cultivating loyalty through seamless and rewarding guest programs is crucial for encouraging repeat visits and fostering long-term engagement.
Top insights from the Fireside Chat: trends, tech, & tribulations
The engaging Fireside Chat featuring Gurenda Bilbao from Google, Dominique Fernandez of Mildreds and Mallow, and Hani Nakkach of Aubaine provided a dynamic exploration of the evolving restaurant landscape.
Gurenda highlighted the increasingly complex ways people search for restaurants on Google, with dish-specific queries and “near me now” searches surging—revealing there had been a 99% year-on-year rise in ‘Food near me’ searches as well as a 33% increase in restaurant-related searches in general. By the nods and smiles in the audience, this was something we could all relate to! Gurenda continued to emphasize the crucial role of an updated Google Business Profile, including visuals, menus with dish photos, and even WhatsApp contact details, to effectively connect with potential diners. Both Dominique and Hani shared their experiences navigating industry challenges and adapting to changing consumer habits, underscoring the critical role of both guest experience and technology.
It was especially interesting to hear all about each of our guests’ stories in hospitality, and how they began their kitchen adventures and what makes them tick.
“The focus now with Lightspeed mainly is to see that people who execute the product are not being disrupted by the amount of data. The help from Lightspeed and another system we use is to give you time to focus on the product, focus on the customers.” – Hani Nakkach, Aubaine.
“The technology needs to help us make sure that our guest experiences are amazing. It needs to flow. It needs to allow us to be on the floor.” – Dominique Fernandez, Head of Operations, Mildreds and Mallow.
Valuable networking & connections made
Beyond the insightful sessions, Lightspeed Edge provided a fantastic platform for attendees to connect, share experiences, and forge new relationships against the stunning backdrop of Horizon 22.
Lightspeed’s continued commitment to your growth
Liam, MD of Lightspeed EMEA, wrapped up the event by reinforcing our strong investment in product and services. Our goal is to provide the tools and support you need to scale your local hospitality business. We’re dedicated to helping you thrive.
Lastly, we’d like to say thanks!
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended the inaugural Lightspeed Edge. Your enthusiasm and engagement made the evening a resounding success. We hope you left feeling inspired, informed, and more connected within the vibrant hospitality industry.
Stay tuned for more updates and insights from the Lightspeed team.
Want to find out how Lightspeed can help you flip tables faster, increase revenue, and offer an exceptional guest experience? Talk to one of our experts today.
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