The first half of 2020 forced restaurants across the country to think differently. As people were urged to avoid public gatherings, the industry had to look for new sales channels. Making yourself available through web and app platforms became the big trend.

For Bibbi Kesenci, CEO of Sobi in Örebro, and her colleagues, the shift wasn't as dramatic. Yes, the popular restaurant was quieter than usual, but thanks to an already established app concept, takeaway orders went up instead.

"At the beginning of the pandemic there were a lot of orders in the app but almost no guests in the restaurant. Overall we still had high sales, even if it varied from day to day. But now it's starting to even out a bit. More and more people are coming in to sit in the restaurant or out on the terrace again."

How was Sobi affected by Covid-19?

"There were a lot of cancellations from both private guests and larger companies in the beginning. We've had to space out the tables so guests can keep their distance, and we've had to ask guests not to push tables together or stand and wait for their takeaway. It's a sad thing to have to remind people that they need to follow the guidelines."

Has it meant rethinking and changing existing routines?

"Not really, but we've become even more careful with hygiene and we work according to public health guidelines all the time. Hand sanitiser, cleaning, distance, gloves, disinfection. We're paying extra attention to all of that."

"You just walk in and pick up the food"

Sobi has used a PubQ app solution for takeaway orders since the doors first opened. Both before and during Covid-19 the operation has benefited from being able to push parts of the workflow out to self-service via app.

"We think the app is fantastic. It takes no time for us. Sometimes you can be stuck on a phone call for a long time taking an order and tapping it into the till. In the app, people order exactly what they want and then it's done."

The restaurant's customers have also shown their appreciation for the digital self-service concept.

"Our guests think it's great. When they come to pick up their food they don't have to queue to pay. They just walk in and pick it up, or wait outside and we'll come out and hand the food over," Bibbi says.

"A lot of people pre-order from work and swing by on the way home to pick the food up. One customer was on a business trip in Norway and ordered food for her kids who were back home in Örebro. She called us afterwards to say how pleased she was."

"Everyone saves time"

"Sobi is our love for Asian cuisine and its culture" reads the restaurant's website, and a quick look at the menu photos in the app is enough to understand that everything is made with exactly that.

At Orvar Bergmarks Plats by Behrn Arena, the team has managed to create a relaxed environment for people to meet, eat well, and mingle. While the takeaway sales graph keeps pointing up. So what does the work with the app actually look like in an operation that has so much going on in every direction?

"We manage the content in the app ourselves. I like that we can handle everything on our own — images, products, menus, push notifications."

What does your way of working look like in the restaurant?

"We get the order on the screen and set a time on it. The kitchen prepares the food, we pack it and press 'Done'. The guest comes in and picks up their food. It's incredibly smooth and everyone saves time.

As it is now, guests often sit out in the car waiting for the push notification that the order is ready. Some stand outside and wait."

More focus on the guest experience

A common pushback against digital ordering is the assumption that it would lower the level of service and remove the personal interaction. In reality it can be the opposite — which Bibbi and her colleagues at Sobi prove daily.

"We save time and we can distribute the resources we have in a much better way. We can have one person at the till while takeaway orders keep coming in. Otherwise we'd have needed at least two.

Now we can focus on making sure our guests in the restaurant are looked after, and spend more time meeting and welcoming new guests," Bibbi explains.

Which is, after all, the most important thing.