Award-winning Australian hospitality tech platform HungryHungry has recently launched Ready to Serve, a suite of new software technology solutions all can all be run off one tablet, designed to give restaurants, pubs, clubs and cafes the flexibility to provide their customers with targeted ordering options while tapping into insights that enhance the way they engage with and market to their loyal customers.

The tech startup was founded in 2019 by hospitality industry pioneers and OrderMate founders (they sold to MSL Solutions for $7.5million in 2021), Mark Calabro and Shannon Hautot in 2019, who have 40+ combined years of delivering innovative, technology solutions to the hospitality industry.  

During the pandemic HungryHungry pivoted quickly from mobile order & pay to online ordering for restaurants and as a result built a loyal database of over 2,000 restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars across Australia, and in the process helping many overcome the challenge of lockdowns to stay open for business.

As the hospitality industry continues to embrace and benefit from technology driven solutions, HungryHungry has continued on its mission to deliver new, innovative tech solutions that will help venues of all sizes deliver amazing customer experiences while driving revenue. As a result the business now offers a suite of products across digital menus, online ordering, payments and direct to consumer marketing solutions.

HungryHungry Concierge, is an exciting new feature within Ready to Serve that allows restaurant owners and staff to access ‘real-time’ consumer data insights so that they can instantly recognise regular customers and reward them for their loyalty through on the spot VIP services and/or future marketing and promotions. 

Initial trials with select venues show that this data-led approach allows venues to engage with customers in a more meaningful way with the dual win of greater customer satisfaction and an uplift in revenue by as much as $3 per order when using HungryHungry's assisted marketing algorithms.

Adding to the mix, HungryHungry has also launched their own paperless, bespoke ordering kiosks, a service that caters to Australia’s growing casual dining sector and an offer that none of their competitors can match. The shift into stand alone hardware meets a growing demand for service versatility from a wider range of venue types beyond fast food locations. Being trialled by Royal Stacks in Melbourne, the kiosks will continue to be rolled out to restaurants across Australia this year. 

Co-CEO and Co-Founder of HungryHungry, Mark Calabro says, “From learning if a customer is a Tuesday regular, loves a dirty gin martini, or orders a steak and chips each time they visit, our new data driven service Ready to Serve now makes it possible to personalise every customer's visit, helping to repeat business and keep loyal customers engaged. 

“As well as providing venues with the opportunity to gather insights on their customers, we then also deliver the bespoke, targeted promotions and ads via email or SMS direct marketing straight to loyal customers at no additional cost to our clients. Initial trials have already shown that venues can get a return average uplift of $3 per order, not to mention the ROI ratio is high. 

“This targeted approach directed at existing customers also provides a great benefit to venues allowing them to see where they can save costs or generate additional revenue, providing maximum efficiency and a hassle free service.”

Co-CEO and Co-Founder Shannon Hautot added, “In our first business OrderMate, and now with HungryHungry, our focus has always been to build tech that seamlessly integrates with a venue's existing technology so the venue manager or staff can focus more on the actual customer and less on the logistics.  

“Loyalty is a huge factor in the hospitality industry and we’ve seen it become increasingly more so since we first started out in this industry 20 years ago. Ready to Serve and within that HungryHungry Concierge is kicking off a new suite of tech services we will be launching this year and something we’re really excited about because we’re giving venues the power to step up their customised marketing and promotional efforts with little effort and the potential for huge returns.”

General Manager at Royal Hotel Mornington, Alex Bird, who has been trialling Ready to Serve says. “I’ve only had the feature for two weeks, but in my opinion they’re worth their weight in gold and have already paid for themselves. Being able to have eyes and ears on every transaction without fail has saved my venue hundreds of dollars each weekend.”

In January 2023 the business reached profitability and has grown its headcount by 500% to 60 in the last two years.