The Head of Steam

The Head of Steam, the ‘purveyors of great beer since 1995’, are a unique brand with 15 bustling bars across the north of England. Nine of their locations have implemented Pepper’s mobile solution - enabling customers to Order to Table using either the mobile app or via a QR code web solution. Customers can also book a table, book a beer tasting and receive unique offers, all with the tap of a few buttons in their bespoke app.

Speaking to Mark Connor, the Head of Operations and Brand at The Head of Steam, he told us: ‘Our brand was never one that you would associate with an order to table app. We thought our constantly changing bar offer across multiple venues was always going to prove difficult.

‘However, PepperHQ have been fantastic throughout our partnership, helping us showcase our brand’s strengths and providing a satisfying customer journey, every step of the way.’

Since adopting a mobile ordering solution, The Head of Steam have acquired over 45,000 unique users and have seen a huge number of their sales being completed through the app.

Their personalised ad-hoc perk rewards and push notifications are key to retaining these customers, as well as continuing to offer their well-renowned customer service.

Mark told us: 'we work in partnership with the pub teams to understand how we can continue to offer our customers the friendly and expert service they’ve always enjoyed at the bar, but from the comfort of their table.’

Operationally, all the elements of service that make The Head of Steam so attractive to visitors have been retained in their mobile ordering journeys. Bars have bespoke menu categories to recommend their favourite beers, featured products have detailed tasting notes and staff bring samples of beer to the table with orders. The only thing that’s changed for the customer is the fact they no longer have to leave their conversations and tables to queue at the bar.

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The Head of Steam are also always looking for new ways to attract customers and stand out from their competitors - they recently offered a 50% discount, exclusively on the app, on vegan dishes during Veganuary 2022, which led to a 7% increase in app transactions. Offering exclusive app-only discounts has helped encourage downloads and new customers, while promoting their new menu items.

Mark went on to say that, ‘from set up, the Pepper team have constantly communicated and listened to what we wanted to achieve. The result was a beautiful looking app, and a great base to add and improve upon.

‘We are currently working on adding to the nine venues that we currently have working with Pepper, and hopefully looking to add further features soon.'

‘We would like to thank Dom, Alberto, Hannah, Lizzie, Ella and the entire team for all of their support.’

The Pepper team love working with The Head of Steam, and we look forward to seeing what 2022 has in store for them as we continue our partnership.

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