US hospitality tech firm Toast launches in the UK

US tech firm Toast announced today that its all-in-one digital platform will roll out in the UK, starting in the Greater London area.

Toast’s digital platform is used by almost 80,000 foodservice outlets in the US and is designed to help restaurants by providing technology focused on streamlining operations, accurate real-time cloud-based reporting, and improving customer experience.

Le Bab, which operates nine restaurants and food hall sites in London, has been working with Toast to give feedback on its services and ensure they meet the needs of UK hospitality businesses.

Sam Brotchie, chief operational officer at Le Bab, said: “Two key elements in our decision to work with Toast are the quality of its hardware and payments processing solution, both of which are clearly custom-built for restaurants.

"Our servers can take payment table-side and Toast’s reporting tools mean the managers of our restaurants are able to manage close out in half the time it used to take.”

Brotchie added that the platform improved its outlets’ service speed: “Before we integrated Toast at Le Bab, our table turn time was around an hour and a half. Today, thanks to Toast, it’s now between 30 and 40 minutes. Toast’s technology is seamless, and it has really improved communication between the front of house team and the kitchen.”

Jen DiRico, senior vice president and general manager of international at Toast, said: “This announcement marks a significant and exciting moment in Toast’s journey as we bring our technology to the UK to help restaurants and hospitality businesses streamline their operations and improve their performance.”