We’re excited to announce the launch of our new cost-effective and user-friendly platform designed to revolutionise how businesses manage their delivery service providers.

Zonal Delivery offers seamless integration into the three major online -delivery service providers, Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat and simplifies multi-channel and multi-unit menu management. This enables operators to enhance their delivery services efficiently, with key features including:

• Direct Order Integration: Receive third-party orders directly into your Zonal EPoS or kitchen management system via ticket printing.
• Centralised Management: Manage items, menus, and modifiers all from one dashboard, and easily increase prices across multiple channels simultaneously.
• Dynamic Prep Time Management: Edit prep times and prioritise orders to ensure timely service.
• Comprehensive Reporting: Access detailed reporting capabilities for informed decision-making.

Zonal Delivery is designed for businesses of any size, enabling operators to manage single or multiple locations and delivery service providers effortlessly from one interface. The platform allows for instant publication of changes to menus and pricing with just one click, streamlining operations and enhancing service quality while improving the bottom line.

Commenting on the launch, Tim Chapman, Chief Commercial Officer, Zonal, “With the launch of Zonal Delivery, we are giving our customers the opportunity to capitalise on this growing market and enhance their delivery operations, increase efficiency in their hospitality venues and drive profits through delivery channels.

“We are committed to helping our customers thrive in a competitive landscape by providing them with the technology they need to succeed.”

Jonny Findlay, Commercial Manager at Hub Box said, “I would definitely recommend Zonal Delivery to other operators, the direct integration into our EPoS has made receiving orders much easier. We can manage this depending on the demand in the kitchen meaning an improved customer experience and reduced pressures on our staff.”

We are excited to share that Zonal has topped not one, but two categories at the Restaurant Readers’ Choice Award winning both the EPoS and Technology categories.

Restaurant Readers’ Choice Awards are a result of an extensive survey sent to their restaurateur audience, asking them to vote for their favourite suppliers to the trade. The winners are the companies which their readers believe offer the best customer service, reliability, offer the best product range and go the extra mile.

Zonal was recognised for its EPoS system and wider technology suite, which are used in over 17,000 hospitality businesses.

Zonal’s CEO, Stuart McLean said: “It’s fantastic to receive this vote of public approval. The recognition reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering reliable and effective solutions that meet the needs of our customers. This award is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the entire Zonal team, their focus on providing exceptional customer service and maintaining high standards has been essential to our success.’

A landmark debate in September at the House of Commons is set to change the face of venue safety laws in the UK.

The Terrorism Protection of Premises Bill or ‘Martyn’s Law’ was discussed by MPs in September; an anti-terrorism bill in memory of 29-year-old Martyn Hett, who was killed alongside 21 others in the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. The law is currently under review by the Public Bill Committee and is set to come into action over the coming weeks.

The main aim of the Bill is to protect the public from the impact of terrorist attacks and to prevent physical harm. It comes after the terror threat for venues in the UK has been described as ‘substantial’ by officials, who have revealed that 43 terrorist plots have been foiled since 2017.

Mainly aimed at concert halls, stadiums and other crowded venues, Martyn’s Law outlines new specific safety measures for most public venues based on different capacities, meaning hotels and other hospitality venues will be affected when the law becomes official.

The Law calls for mandatory safety training and ‘practicable public protection procedures’ in venues with a capacity of 200 – 799 (known as standard tier and raised from 100 in September to create a more appropriate scope of duty).

Whereas in larger venues with a capacity of over 800 (enhanced tier), more rigorous measures are required such as additional security staff and minimum CCTV requirements.

Martyn’s Law will have large implications on the hospitality industry, however, many hospitality providers are clearly seeing the benefit to public safety, with 100 venues publicly backing the bill, including McDonalds.

Since we last talked about Martyn’s Law in February of this year, there have been some adjustments to the proposed requirements. Here we discuss the biggest changes for hotels and other hospitality providers to help you prepare for the new legislation.

Standard Tier Requirements

There is a focus on practical and effective safety training to prepare for a terrorist event, including practice runs by team members.

Since the bill was first proposed, the requirements for training have become more prescriptive and involve safety procedures for the following:

• Evacuation
• Invacuation
• Lockdown
• Communication with staff and customers.

This more active approach aims to raise and maintain awareness of anti-terror measures amongst hotel staff so they can be implemented effectively in the event of a terror attack.

A ‘responsible person’ will implement these measures and ensure adequate training takes place and all safety measures should be clearly communicated with the regulator.

In summary, since the Government consultation on Martyn’s Law, there is now less emphasis on paperwork and a greater focus on ensuring that all your employees fully understand how to deliver the anti-terrorism measures to reduce physical harm.

The government hopes that these requirements will enable venues to tailor their measures to suit their operational needs.

Enhanced Tier Requirements

If your hotel or venue falls into the Enhanced Tier category, regulators will need to be informed of any events where 800 or more individuals are attending your event.

The same safety training and actionable public safety procedures apply here as for Standard Tier venues; however, paperwork requirements are more rigorous and all safety measures in place must be adequately documented as proof of compliance. This will also include safety assessments of the efficiency of your hotel’s safety measures.

As with standard tier requirements, there must be a ‘responsible person’ in charge of implementing these measures. However, if your hotel or venue falls under the 800 capacity tier, a ‘senior’ responsible person must be nominated for each event where there are 800 or more individuals attending.

As well as the hotel itself, the surrounding area must be monitored for suspicious activity by using additional staff and/or extra CCTV.

There will be an expected grace period of around 24 months to enable venues to put these plans into place before the Security Industry Authority (SIA) begins regulatory action to enforce the law.

The SIA will have the power to issue compliance notices, limit operations and give out hefty fines to venues of up to 5% of worldwide revenue (AEO) for those who don’t comply. This figure could be in the millions for multi-site hotel chains or venues.

With this in mind, and the bill currently making its way through Parliament, now is the time to get your anti-terrorism measures in place to ensure the safety of your customers and guarantee your venue is compliant.

Resources

• Association of Event Organisers
• Government guidance
• Government Consultation

To celebrate 10 years of GO Technology insight, Zonal and CGA take a look back at how tech has shaped the industry over the past decade.

Back in 2014, when David Cameron was Prime Minister, the biggest tech launches of the year were Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s ill-fated glasses. The Apple Watch hadn’t been launched, Apple Pay didn’t exist, and Kim Kardashian married Kanye West.

It was also the year that Zonal entered into a long term partnership with CGA by NIQ, via the launch of the first ever GO Technology report. In the 10 years since, the reports have tracked the adoption of tech solutions in hospitality by consumers and businesses alike.

A decade on, here are the top ways that innovation has reshaped our sector.

Booking and payments

Ten years ago, over half (58%) of consumers said they preferred to make table bookings by telephone. Fast forward nearly a decade, only a fifth (20%) of consumers cite this as their preferred booking method, with nearly half (45%) now wanting to book online. As for using AI tools to book – we didn’t know what that was back in 2014.

Consumer preferences when it comes to paying for food in bars or restaurants have also seen a significant shift. In 2014, GO Technology revealed that only 6% of consumers used digital payment methods for their orders. By 2024, this had increased to 43%, resulting from the rapid adoption of mobile devices for payment as a result of the pandemic.

Data sharing and loyalty

Advances in mobile technology over the last ten years have opened up the potential to tailor services and offers to guests and in turn help drive loyalty. In 2018, GO Technology found that only half (51%) of consumers would be willing to exchange personal information to receive tailored offers, increasing to 64% a mere two years later.

Consumers’ growing desire for value has also led to an increased engagement with brands and loyalty schemes. Back in 2021, less than a quarter (23%) were signed up to more than one loyalty programme, but by 2024 nearly half (47%) of consumers have joined several loyalty schemes, primarily to make the most of deals and promotions available.

The need for speed

Our first ever report also revealed that 17% of young consumers, aged 25 to 34, were frustrated by having to wait to settle the bill at the end of a meal. This has increased to a whopping 75% of young consumers in 2024.

Similarly, people have become increasingly demanding that their food is served in a timely fashion. In 2014 nearly half of consumers (47%) cited waiting a long time for food as their number one frustration when going out for a meal, while this year’s report revealed an increase to nine in ten (91%) consumers who now say long waits and hot food served cold are their top bugbears.

All of which goes to show that investing in tech that can help deliver on these fundamentals is key to business success.

Commenting on the findings, Tim Chapman, Chief Commercial Officer, Zonal, said: “Hospitality has evolved significantly over the past ten years and tech has played a fundamental role in this journey, enabling operators to deliver the fast, seamless and hassle-free experience that consumers have come to demand and in turn, drive growth.

“Looking ahead to the next ten years, there will undoubtedly be more change to come, but one thing we can be certain about is that technology will continue to play its part. However, this doesn’t mean that hospitality will become all about robots and automated processes. The best hospitality experiences remain those that offer the right balance of technology and traditional face-to-face service and that’s never going to change.”

Click here to download the latest report in the series, ‘Fixing people’s hospitality bugbears’.