Digital & IT
Published: January 6, 2021 | Updated: 7th January 2021
It’s a business built totally around pubs, restaurants and hotels.
Pub Tokens Limited.
Offering the UK’s only restaurant and pub vouchers that are not restricted to a particular chain or brand.
Welcomed in more than 1,750 venues across the country.
And one of the sectors hardest hit by the three national lockdowns and the tier restrictions?
Pubs, restaurants and hotels.
So you’d expect Dominic Lavan, Managing Director, pictured left, to be – quite literally – crying into his beer.
But you’d be wrong.
He said: “Yes we’ve been affected but not as badly as I expected.
“December is the busiest time of the year for us but – with the tier restrictions in the North of England – I estimate about 50 per cent of pubs and restaurants weren’t trading.
“Our online sales, though, were down by 20 per cent.
“In the circumstances I’m perfectly happy with that.
“We’re fortunate that many places were doing takeaways, so people could still treat a friend or a relative to a meal.
“Also, things will return to normal one day so celebrations can be delayed until favourite pubs and restaurants are open again
“We’re also offering 20 per cent off restaurant and pub vouchers until the end of January.
“It means we’re taking a hit but we’re also doing our bit to help the sector when venues reopen again.”
Founded in 2009, Pub Tokens gift vouchers are particularly suited to birthday, anniversary or thank you presents as well as rewards/incentives for the corporate market.
As well as many independently owned freehouses they’re accepted by, among others:
The UK gift and voucher market is worth about £5bn annually.
Pub Tokens’ paper gift vouchers are in denominations of £5, £10 and £20.
They come with a free greetings card and personalised message.
Pub Tokens will shortly be launching a plastic pub and restaurant gift card and also an e-voucher.
Dominic, 58, said the ‘gem of the idea’ for Pub Tokens first came to him in the 1990’s.
However, the concept met with initial resistance from the sector.
The business, based near the border of Dorset and Wiltshire, was eventually launched 12 years ago.
It started with 1,100 pubs, restaurants and hotels on its books, adding a further 650 or so up to the present day.
Last year a new consumer-facing eCommerce website was launched.
The site – pubtokens.com – was designed and built by Bournemouth-based Digital Storm in four months, including one month of testing.
Dominic said: “We initially chose another agency but they pulled out of the project seven weeks in, really leaving us in the lurch.
“At that stage we were coming up to our most critical time of the year and needed to be ready in good time.
“Three agencies subsequently pitched to us but I was immediately impressed by Curtis [Williams, Digital Storm’s Marketing Manager].
“They did an excellent job with Curtis’ attention to detail quite incredible.
“We’ll look to grow our relationship with Digital Storm.
“As for current events. we have a financially stable business which has been profitable for years.
“We are very resilient and will absolutely be able to ride things out.”
Curtis, pictured right, said: “The new website was a fantastic project to undertake for Digital Storm.
“It really pushed the team, due to the various complexities unseen by the users but which improved Pub Tokens’ logistics.
“We look forward to working long term with Pub Tokens and have some interesting projects already underway.”
