Located in Shoreditch during its successful 10-day run, Hot Plates London served up signature, marinated flat iron beef with a side of digital tech. A key ingredient to the restaurant’s success was self-service. Customers not only placed orders and made payments through Bouncepad iPad kiosks located on every table, they also cooked their own steaks directly on sizzling hot plates.
Hot Plates was a passion project from Ben Floyd and Bertie Guard, who originally hail from BPL Digital, a company that specializes in designing engaging mobile applications for the hospitality sector. The premise for the restaurant was simple: fuse a love and passion for food with their technological expertise, and give back along the way. All of the restaurant’s profits went to Raise Your Hands, a UK-based organization that supports local charities working with children.
We’re beyond pleased with the success of the pop-up, and the positive feedback we received from customers and staff,” said Ben Floyd, director of BPL Digital and co-founder of Hot Plates. “We set out to prove that with smart and user-friendly technology, you can run a great restaurant with little-to-no restaurant management experience.”
The restaurant’s menu was crafted by Charlie Wethered, an ex-Masterchef contestant and current owner of Quail London – inspired by his world travels, Wethered prepared four different marinades for customers to choose from, including a very popular chilled Mexican accompaniment.
Once seated, customers placed their orders directly through the bespoke iPad app built by BPL Digital – staff would receive the order and serve their food and drinks shortly thereafter. If customers had a question, needed something brought over, or were ready to make payment, they could send through a request from the iPad to the waiter or waitress.
Relying on digital technology, Hot Plates was able to turn over tables consistently in less than 30 minutes, as well as run using fewer wait staff than normally used in a standard restaurant.
With an iPad at every table, Hot Plates installed 20 Bouncepad enclosures to keep the tablets securely installed and easy for customers interact with. “We tested other solutions but choose Bouncepad because they offer the most flexible and premium range of products, which matched what we needed from a security and user experience perspective,” said Floyd.
After running the pop-up restaurant for two weeks, Hot Plates London closed its doors, but that’s not the last time you can expect to see the innovative restaurant. Hot Plates London is currently planning their next move, and hope to make it a more permanent stay.
Customers and fans hoping to stay in touch and hear about their upcoming news can register interest on their website.