New and improved payment solution for Friends & Brgrs

In the restaurant industry, as well as the brand and the food itself, it is important that the payment process runs smoothly – all these factors influence whether a customer will want to return to the restaurant.

“We wanted a payment solution that is future-proof, geared towards the digital world and evolving rapidly. At the heart of it all is ensuring that the customer’s experience in the restaurant is as smooth and pleasant as possible,” says Piirtola.

Customers can choose between self-service or paying at the till

The new payment solution takes into account customers’ different preferences regarding customer service. Some prefer to be served by a member of staff at the till, whilst others prefer to use a self-service till. Payment via mobile device is possible whether you’re using a kiosk or a till terminal.

Upselling at self-service checkouts comes naturally. For example, the self-service checkout suggests side dishes or desserts to the customer in a way that makes it easy for them to choose – or not to choose. In the Softpay solution, the payment terminal functions as the till and is integrated into the screen, without the need for a separate till.

“The self-service checkout has enabled us to increase the average spend per customer and is easy for customers to use,” says Piirtola.

Tips for a successful switch for those considering a change

Switching payment service providers did not mean a major upheaval for Friends & Brgrs.

“There are many things that now work a little differently and a little more smoothly. Feedback from both staff and customers has been largely positive, although new systems always require someone to provide guidance on how to use them when necessary.”

Friends & Brgrs managed to carry out the roll-out in such a way that the restaurants remained open at all times and customers experienced no disruption whilst the payment solution was being changed. Piirtola wants to share the lessons he’s learnt from the roll-out with other businesses that are in the process of switching payment service providers:

“You can probably never prepare too much for a roll-out. There will always be a need for changes, but it’s not worth making changes right before the roll-out. At that stage, it’s important to ensure that the system works as it should, and you can still make fine-tuning adjustments after the roll-out.”

Good partners enable development and growth

Piirtola particularly values flexibility and digital capabilities in its new payment partners.

“In my experience, both have been extremely successful in meeting our challenge of delivering the world’s best customer experience, including digitally. It has been important for us to find a flexible partner who understands our needs and with whom we can scale the solution.”

The new payment solution is also praised for its reliability.

“The new till and payment service have been up and running when needed. We experienced minor disruptions during the roll-out, but customer service has been prompt, ensuring issues were resolved quickly. Settlements have always been processed on schedule.”

“When you can rely on the system’s performance and your partners, there’s room to grow and develop,” he sums up.

Equipment and systems used in Friends & Brgrs restaurants

A new, multi-channel payment solution is in use at 38 Friends & Brgrs restaurants.

It incorporates the following technologies:

• Yonoton: Point-of-sale system

ELO-POS terminals

• Yonoton: Self-service kiosks

ELOPAY 22” kiosks

EPassi and Edenred payments at self-service checkouts

• Yonoton Omnichannel

KDS is a unified order management system for orders placed at the till, via self-service and through the Wolt delivery service, and is compatible with the F&B cooking display system.

• ELOView device management system

• F&Brgrs mobile app (Q4/26)

• Loyalty scheme (Q4/26)

• Integration of the Yonoton system with alarm discs

• Integration of 3pd services (Wolt, Uber) into Yonoton

• Yonoton drive-thru system

• Nets Lane3600 payment terminal

• Softpay payment solution