Fitzbillies: A Century of Cambridge Tradition and Innovation

Fitzbillies, the iconic Cambridge bakery and restaurant, has thrived for over 100 years by blending rich heritage with modern innovation. Founded in 1920, it quickly became famous for its luxury confectionery and Chelsea buns, boasting a distinctive Art Nouveau shopfront that remains a local landmark.
Co-owner Alison Wright notes the business has "used quite a lot of its nine lives," surviving challenges from wartime rationing and a devastating 1998 fire to two bankruptcies and the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2011, Alison and her husband Tim Hayward rescued Fitzbillies from closure. Since then, they've consistently expanded, adding new sites, an off-site bakery, and a thriving online business, all significantly aided by technology like Lightspeed.

Fitzbillies' previous till system had been in place for eight years and, while it offered good analytics, it was slow and lacked the necessary integrations. This created inefficiencies and made it difficult for staff to serve customers quickly. After reviewing the market, Fitzbillies chose Lightspeed for its reliability, speed, and comprehensive features. The transition was supported by a dedicated account management team and a library of training videos, ensuring a smooth installation and ongoing support.

For Alison, switching to Lightspeed has been transformational: “Lightspeed is absolutely essential for helping us operate productively.” Their main location on Trumpington Street serves as a coffee shop, restaurant, and cake shop, each with distinct service needs. “The coffee shop needs quick counter service, while the restaurant benefits from the genius of Tableside,” she explains.

That same Tableside feature has significantly improved operational efficiency by allowing staff to take orders and process payments directly at the table. “It’s made us much faster on the floor, we can often manage with three or four team members instead of five on a busy day,” Alison notes. With Mobile Tap the speed and reliability are further enhanced, removing any concerns about lost tickets or failed payments, even during peak periods. As a result, the team achieves an impressive 32-minute average table turn on Saturdays.

Since implementing Lightspeed, Fitzbillies has experienced meaningful improvements across its operations. One standout innovation has been the introduction of Lightspeed Order Anywhere, which enables customers to order seamlessly via QR code, whether from the queue or directly at their table. This shift has not only streamlined the ordering experience but also driven a noticeable uplift in sales.

"The average order value is 20% higher, because the way the extras and add-ons are arranged is very intuitive,” Alison notes.

By empowering guests to explore the menu at their own pace, Fitzbillies is seeing both greater efficiency and more satisfied customers.

The stability of the Lightspeed system has also provided peace of mind, with no issues of outages. Additionally, the detailed data and reporting allow management to optimize staffing levels and make informed business decisions.

"It's also really good in terms of the data that it provides us. We can analyse when the sales are coming, what counters are coming through so we can make sure that we have enough team members, not too many team members at any given time."

Overall, Lightspeed has become a central part of Fitzbillies' business, helping them maintain their heritage while embracing the demands of a modern, fast-paced service environment.