A Historic Hospitality Icon

The Continental isn't your typical hospitality venue. Located in Sorrento, this iconic institution boasts a rich history dating back to 1875, making it one of the first commercial buildings ever constructed in the area.

"The Continental was founded in 1875, so it's got a rich history as one of the first commercial buildings ever built down in Sorrento," explains the venue representative. "The story goes George Coppin was the gentleman that built it, was a bit of a philanthropist and a bit of a scoundrel card player from Melbourne. Came down, wanted to build a weekend destination for the so-called rich and famous of Victoria back in the gold rush days."

This historic property has evolved dramatically since its inception: "It's now built into six floors, three different buildings. We've got three restaurants, five bars, three entertainment spaces, 108 room hotel and a 700 square metre wellness and day spa. It's a small shopping centre, we like to call it a lifestyle precinct."

Managing Overwhelming Demand

When The Conti reopened after its extensive development, the anticipation created operational challenges that tested their service model.

"When we opened the doors, I think the anticipation was huge. So it was very much a case of sort of hanging on for dear life as the streams of customers came just falling through the front doors. So the QR code, I think, just got tested by sheer volume."

This volume forced the team to reconsider their approach: "A lot of key learnings around that in terms of how to control and manage the volume. And so I think we then started to identify, to break down those areas from, you know, dedicated dispense areas to timings of tickets to grouping orders together and understanding how we can manage the influx of the orders so that the kitchen can still deliver within the right timeframe."

Beyond Basic QR Codes

While traditional QR ordering worked well in certain environments, The Conti team recognised they needed something more sophisticated for their iconic venue.

"QR code's working really well in large footprint pubs, but I think the area that I was starting to kind of watch a little bit more was how that's impacting on staff and their ability to serve. Just having a basic QR code offer wasn't meeting the guest expectations. And I think because of the iconic nature of the building, that's really what made me realise we needed something a bit more."

This realisation led them to me&u Flex: "When the opportunity to work with Flex came up it was really exciting. It's allowed the staff to kind of engage a bit more with the customer, especially, you know, might be doing a quick upsell with a wine of the month or those sort of things."

Multiple Service Models in One Venue

The Continental's diverse spaces demanded different service approaches—a perfect scenario for me&u Flex's adaptability.

"Within that hub area and those three dining spaces, although it's one menu, we've got different service models. So the beer garden is table service that allows us more direct contact and then the other areas are more reliant on the traditional QR."

This flexibility addresses the needs of their diverse clientele: "With a slightly older demographic, when you would explain the QR code, you'd often get a bit of an eye roll or a grumpy thing. At least this way we can say, that's an option, I can serve you or you're welcome to go and pay an order at the bar. So we give them the flexibility."

Measurable Business Improvements

The implementation of Flex has delivered significant benefits across multiple performance indicators:

"What we've found with rolling out Flex is not only we've seen an increase in spend per head because the staff are able to upsell and curate the guest experience, walking through shared plates to start and then some pizza on the table or even some of our premium dry aged meats that we would talk through that come with a hefty price tag, but sold in the right way, sell really well."

Customer satisfaction has also seen remarkable improvement: "Probably the other area that's most exciting is we're seeing a big increase in our customer experience. In terms of our CSAT scores, which come in from our reviews, year-on-year comparisons, we're a lot higher."

Implementation: A Collaborative Approach

The Continental team appreciated me&u's hands-on implementation approach that went beyond technology.

"Working with Darren and the team to come down, I think the biggest thing that was most impressive for me was having the team physically on site. Darren and I are set to work on a mammoth task of rolling it out, you know, just before the school holidays rolled out. And yeah, he and the team have been fantastic."

This operational understanding was crucial to successful adoption: "I think they've really become part of our team and having that operational knowledge to work with our staff. So it's not just a tech guy saying, hey, do this, this, this, but understanding how our business works, seeing some services, working with the staff, not just the management, but then sitting down with some of the younger staff and just getting to feel comfortable about the system."

Historic Charm Meets Modern Service

The Continental demonstrates how even the most historic and complex venues can embrace technology while enhancing the human elements of hospitality. By implementing me&u's Flex ordering platform, they've preserved their iconic charm while delivering the elevated, flexible service that modern customers expect.

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