At Colchester Zoo, food, drink and retail play an important role in the overall visitor experience. Across a 60-acre site, teams operate 24 catering locations and five retail outlets, including restaurants, kiosks, grab-and-go points and seasonal pop-up stands.
With varied operating formats and busy seasonal visitor periods, the zoo needed a more connected technology platform. It wanted to simplify site-wide changes, improve communication between departments and bring catering, payments, stock, reporting and ticketing information into one operational view.
Client:
Colchester Zoo
Industry:
Visitor Attractions
Scale:
60-acre zoo with 24 food and drink outlets and five retail locations
Challenge:
Disconnected catering, ticketing and retail systems
The Challenge
Colchester Zoo needed technology that could support different service environments, from small independently operated kiosks to busy restaurant kitchens, retail locations and fast-moving food collection points. The system needed to remain easy for teams to use while helping service move quickly during the busiest periods.
The zoo also required central control over menus, stock and operational information. Previously, changes had to be managed location by location, while catering and ticketing systems were unable to communicate effectively. This limited the ability to deliver membership benefits consistently at food and drink locations.
“Tevalis did integrated payments that, along with custom and existing integrations, gave us an all-in-one solution.”
Caitlin, Colchester Zoo
The Solution
Tevalis implemented an EPOS and stock-management solution designed around Colchester Zoo’s catering and retail operation. The rollout was completed within a six-month window between the summer peak and October half term, with Tevalis supporting EPOS layout planning, staff training and implementation.
The connected platform brings operational information together and enables:
“We can make changes across the entire site easily rather than having to sort each individual location.”
Caitlin, Colchester Zoo
The Result
One view across catering and retail
Catering, marketing and leadership teams can access shared reporting and operational information from one system. This makes it easier to understand sales trends, coordinate activity and make decisions without working from disconnected information sources.
Better stock and menu decisions
Central stock management helps the zoo manage deliveries and allocate stock across its locations. Sales insight can be used to identify products that are performing well, refine menus and spot promotional opportunities.
A smoother experience for members
The bespoke ticketing integration allows guests to scan a membership card when making a catering purchase, so eligible benefits can be applied. This connects a previously separate part of the visitor journey with back-office operations.
Reliable technology for seasonal demand
A user-friendly, integrated system supports teams across different types of catering and retail locations. Combined with 24/7 support, the platform gives Colchester Zoo a more reliable operational base during its busiest trading periods.
“This solution moved us forward a great deal and there are more avenues to explore, like mobile ordering, kiosk ordering and pickup.”
Caitlin, Colchester Zoo
Bring systems together with reliable technology that gives teams greater control, clearer insight and the confidence to deliver a seamless experience, every time.
If your hospitality operation is managing disconnected systems, manual reporting or seasonal pressure, our team can help you find a solution built around the way your business works.
