Southampton FC’s home ground since 2001 has been St Mary's Stadium. As well as being the home of The Saints, the stadium has been used for events as diverse as film premieres, music concerts and school proms. With a capacity of 32,384 on busy match days and high- profile events, the catering system needs to stand up to fast and extensive demand.
Following a successful bid, Gather & Gather (part of CH&CO, the specialist catering and hospitality company), won the catering contract for Southampton FC. Having worked closely with Lolly the digital commerce specialist on a number of projects, Gather & Gather introduced Lolly as its preferred partner to the Southampton FC procurement team. Lolly was presented to the club as a single solution supplier. This removed the need to bring in lots of different technology players, which would potentially complicate processes.
The new solution for the stadium includes integrated hardware for 176 tills and 25 handheld Point of Sale devices (for the private boxes), secure and seamless cashless payments, linked kitchen video display systems, and software supporting comprehensive recipe and allergen display requirements. The complete digital solution is all linked to one back-office support system and is built to improve sales, communication and efficiency across the site.
Raj Jeyaratnam, head of technology at Gather & Gather, said: “We didn’t hesitate to take Lolly with us to the Southampton FC presentation, given our joint history and success to date. The team shows a flexible approach to advanced EPoS technology solutions and a targeted product offering. We have big plans when it comes to how we will support Southampton FC and we hope to replicate these across further stadia moving forward, with Lolly as our preferred supplier.”
Peter Moore, CEO at Its Lolly, added: “Southampton FC is an exciting project and we are delighted to be partnering with Gather & Gather again as we make our move into the world of stadia.
“Lolly has always been focused on offering bespoke, advanced, reliable systems designed to match the exact needs of the customer and their environment. Our solution for St Mary’s stadium delivers everything for fast, extensive catering, from pre-order food and drinks, to a branded catering loyalty scheme, helping The Saints keep their customers happy and rewarded match after match.”
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