A North East entrepreneur is opening a new restaurant during lockdown thanks to the success of a new online platform he has created.
Sunil Mehra, who owns the Indian restaurant Haveli Ponteland, Northumberland, is set to open a second eaterie this month in Jesmond, Newcastle, after developing a new online system which he hopes could help other eating establishments to start trading again.
Having closed the Pontleland restaurant at the start of lockdown, Mr Mehra reopened it at the end of April for takeaways only and, despite sending out just a few messages on social media, takeaway meals for that week sold out in advance within 24 hours.
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It was the first test of an online system called Bookslots, which he has designed to help commercial kitchens operate more efficiently, sustainably and safely.
Customers pre-order by booking slots in the same way they would book a supermarket delivery. This allows restaurants to have the right food and staff in place, avoiding wastage and surges in demand.
Following the success of the system, Haveli Newcastle is scheduled to open later this month in Holly Avenue West in Jesmond.
Mr Mehra said: “There are companies offering online ordering with timed slots for collection, but those are merely sales solutions which don’t work operationally for hospitality. Bookslots does more than online sales, it is an operational tool.
“It is a system created by restaurants, for restaurants although pubs will also see a benefit from using it. We’re achieving 60% of pre-lockdown sales with just 25% of the staff and lower food costs due to virtually no wastage.
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“Bookslots flattens the curve of takeaway demand within kitchen capacity so that the kitchen doesn’t get slammed with too many orders at the same time. It allows restaurants to operate more efficiently, protect customers and ensure a safe working environment for staff.”
Bookslots is in the final stage of development and the system is currently being trialled by a handful of North East restaurants and pubs to help refine the software.
The Patricia in Jesmond saw all of its slots being snapped up within hours when it went live on the system and The Blackbird in Ponteland and The Angel in Corbridge are also helping Bookslots create solutions for the pub industry.
It is hoped that Bookslots will soon be widely available with the potential to enable dormant restaurants to open for business again and operate profitably.
Mr Mehra said: “Bookslots is intricate software and would normally take many months to create. However, its development was fast tracked by using a team of fintech developers I have worked with for the last six years. I knew we had software which could be modified to create the functionality we needed.”
Douglas Jordan, chairman of the North East Culinary and Trade Association, said: “This is an impressive system that streamlines service. Sunil has taken an innovative and fresh approach to the challenges the industry faces and the system he has created will be good for many people in the sector who are worried about their businesses surviving.”