Ye Olde Reine Deer Inn Enjoys Increased Speed of Service and Happier Staff After Implementing Toast Handhelds

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If you’re looking for a peek into history in Banbury, you don’t have to look far.

Ye Olde Reine Deer Inn, commonly referred to as The Reine Deer, opened in 1570 and is still serving up drinks and laughs on Parson's Street today. Known as Banbury’s oldest pub, The Reine Deer even played a role in the English Civil War. Legend has it that the Globe Room, a back room of the pub, played a major part in the planning of the battle of Edgehill.

But just because they opened in the 1500s doesn’t mean they’re taking orders with quill and ink. Instead of being stuck in the Middle Ages, The Reine Deer takes advantage of the modern restaurant technology Toast has to offer.

Finding a system that can keep up with the hustle and bustle of a pub

A pub is a fast-paced environment. But it’s a lot of fun, too.

“I’ve been in pubs all my life,” said Ian Thomas, landlord of Ye Old Reine Deer Inn. “The thing I love most about working in pubs is looking after people, having a laugh and a joke, and making people feel special.”

So when it came time to find an electronic point of sale system, or EPOS, for the pub, The Reine Deer needed something that would blend in while keeping up with the hustle.

“I needed a system that could handle everything we were doing. I needed a system that could keep up with us,” Thomas shared.

By implementing Toast EPOS as well as handheld devices, The Reine Deer has opened up the opportunity to create a stellar guest experience without losing the human touch. Now, when someone is sitting along the bar, staff can take the handheld device right over to them to take their meal and bevvy order and send it to the kitchen and bar immediately. Gone are the days of walking from the guest to the till.

Plus, Thomas shares that the handhelds provide guests with the opportunity to see their order being tapped in, so there’s no need to read it back to them — leading to faster, more accurate orders.

Convenience and transparency, no matter where you are

One of Thomas’ favorite things about Toast is the kitchen display system, also known as a KDS. A KDS helps the back-of-house staff keep orders straight while providing transparency to those in the front of house.

“The best thing about the Toast system is you can have anything, anywhere,” Thomas shares. “So, if I’m on the bar and I’m not sure what’s happening in the kitchen, I can just switch to the KDS screen and see what’s going on there.”

Kitchen staff can also provide transparency to the front of house by updating the EPOS to reflect current inventory levels. Out of sausage? No problem. Once the kitchen updates the EPOS, the front-of-house staff will know not to serve any more bangers and mash.

With Toast, restaurants can keep their back- and front-of-house running smoothly and turn guests into regulars by allowing staff to focus on delivering amazing guest experiences.

Tackling labour challenges with easy-to-use technology

According to Thomas, one of the biggest challenges for The Reine Deer is hiring and keeping staff. Luckily, Toast has been helping there, too.

“With a fully integrated, fully functioning operating system, you don’t need as many staff,” Thomas shared.

Toast’s handheld devices allow staff to focus on multiple things at once. They can take the orders and immediately send them to the kitchen, collect payments, and more — all at the table (or bar stool).

Plus, Toast’s easy-to-use system makes it simple to onboard new employees. “When you get a new till system, you think maybe it’s going to be difficult for the staff,” Thomas said. “But I haven’t heard anyone ask about how to use it. It’s so simple, fast, and logical.”

“As we grow our business, we need a partner that is going to be on the forefront of the technology, a partner that’s going to be always investing in the business, always bringing new items and new innovations. That is why we really need to be with Toast.”

Ian Thomas

LandlordYe Olde Reine Deer

Partnering with Toast to grow your business

All in all, The Reine Deer is most excited about forging a long-term relationship with Toast.

“As we grow our business, we need a partner that is going to be on the forefront of the technology,” said Thomas. “A partner that’s going to be always investing in the business, always bringing new items and new innovations. That is why we really need to be with Toast.”

And as for whether he’d recommend Toast to other pubs? Absolutely.

“Is it called Toast cause it’s the best thing since sliced bread?” Thomas joked.