In 2013 Putt in the Park (PITP) teed off as a mini-golf hub tailor-made for fun, and it soon evolved into a leisure and entertainment empire that spans five venues across the UK. Not just a haven for golfers, PITP offers a variety of in-house food and drink items, from bar fare, such as draft beers and specialty pizzas, to café items, such as coffee and croissants.
PITP uses these Square products and integrations:
Four years ago Bryan Kinane took over as general manager, and he’s steered the business toward efficiency and customer satisfaction since.
| Number of venues across the U.K. | 5 |
| Labour hours saved by using Square | 15-20% |
| No. of transactions processed on busiest days approx. | 700 |
PITP solved challenges with Square, thanks to its seamless system, its modern approach, and its optimised reporting features.
Seamless sales integration
Before switching to Square, PITP grappled with an antiquated POS paired with a separate payment provider. These disjoined systems led to complications in everything from handling refunds to reconciling discrepancies. In Bryan’s words, it was “an absolute nightmare.”
The adoption of a Square integrated system streamlined transaction processes, creating a hassle-free junction between the POS and payment processing. This enabled a single view of the customer’s journey, from initial online engagement to post-visit analytics.
Contemporary customer service
PITP crafted a customer-centric experience that uses online booking for reservations and QR codes to enable food and drink purchases directly from the golf course. This feature bolstered sales and reduced game disruptions. Whether managing peak-season crowds or addressing modern-day expectations for on-the-spot service, PITP elevated the entire customer experience by leveraging Square tools.
“We wanted to create an environment where people come in, they’re seated, their order is taken for them, and then they just enjoy the experience. We bring out the food; we handle everything else.”
— Bryan Kinane, general manager
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Optimised staff rosters
PITP faced the challenge of idle staff during less busy hours. Square reporting features provided insights into granular purchasing habits, including hour-by-hour and season-by-season sales. Analysing this data allowed Bryan to allocate staff to be better aligned with customer traffic, a key operational efficiency. In fact, Bryan notes that he was able to save 15–20% of labour hours by using Square reporting to detail kitchen orders versus bar orders at PITP’s Atkinson location.
Data-driven decisions across venues
Faced with the particulars of managing multiple venues, Square reporting tools allowed Bryan to compare site performance, to identify purchase patterns, and to accommodate for factors such as weather and school holidays — data vital to curate best-selling menus and adequate staffing requirements. For instance, before making changes to PITP’s menu, Bryan analysed reports on its most popular pizzas over a period of six months. This helped him determine how to keep — not cut — items that customers love, and ensured that pizza sales would keep up with demand.
PITP uses the Square ecosystem — including partner integrations — to manage more than just payment processing.
Bryan was introduced to Square the same way that many others are: by using the little, white Square Reader while out and about. He quickly learned that there’s more to Square than card payment processing. Once he adopted Square at PITP, it became clear that the Square ecosystem offers a depth of solutions, from improved transaction handling to strategic data insights. Square became a cornerstone of PITP’s day-to-day operations, all requiring minimal training from the staff.
“It’s pretty comprehensive. It’s good to see the customer’s journey from social media to booking to here. And then at the end of the year, I can download all this data and see when people are coming in, when people have lapsed, and what people are buying.”
— Bryan Kinane, general manager
PITP is also connected to Square partner integrations, such as online accounting tool Xero and Your Golf Booking, which enable PITP to replace a first-come, first-serve setup with an official scheduling system. Bryan says that the tailored system allows PITP to block off time for big parties, to reaffirm each location’s hours of operation, and to adjust rotas based on bookings. Additionally, the integration shows how many rounds of golf were sold, which helps Bryan forecast revenue projections.
Square impacts PITP’s operations by simplifying tools, by supercharging marketing, and by performing solidly.
Square is simple for staff to use.
Square is designed intuitively for ease of use. Bryan likens it to using a smartphone. He notes that everyone works hourly in the hospitality industry, so employees like to use it to track their hours alongside management. They can see what hours they’ve worked and whether they want to work more or not. Additionally, staff can clock in and out with Square, an upgrade from writing it all down on a piece of paper.
Square can personalise customer marketing.
The ability to analyse customer data allows PITP to reach and retain its target customers with precision. Bryan shares that Square can link customer phone numbers to transactions, so he can pull nuanced reports on purchasing habits. This means that if someone ordered four draft beers over the summer, he could send a draft beer promotion to that customer and to other beer drinkers in the fall when business may slow down otherwise.
Square handles high demand reliably.
The Battersea location is absolutely bustling in the long days of summer. On the busiest days of the season, they process around 700 transactions. Reliability during this time is nonnegotiable. Square handles the traffic, tracking a solid performance as scores of customers pour in and out of the golf course.
PITP’s story doesn’t end there, as it plans to have Square support any future expansion. But PITP’s story so far demonstrates how Square and its partner integrations can power every part of a large-event venue, from making data-driven decisions about menu items and crafting a modern-day customer experience to streamlining staffing and so much more. As PITP strikes a balance between entertainment and efficiency, Square continues to play an integral role in driving the business forward.
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