The big transformation has begun!

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With the support of Visa, we started a digital revolution in Košice at the Steel Arena stadium. What does it actually mean, what impact does it have and what do the visitors think about it? We talked about this topic with Ján Hollý, the gastro manager at the Steel Arena stadium.

Self-service stadium

Thanks to our extensive experience in digitizing the fast food gastro segment, or even entire food courts, we went in another direction - stadiums. Thanks to the Eatster ecosystem, stadiums can:

• Sell significantly more during the match or concert
• Increase the average transaction amount
• Significantly reduce the error rate
• Reduce costs and overall dependence on personnel
• Create new sources of income and much more

First of all, our "virtual cashiers", i.e. self-service kiosks which can eliminate the bottlenecks at the cashiers, where a large number of people flock during the break and literally overwhelm the cashiers with orders.

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Now the stadium can enroll as many virtual cashiers as they need. This way, they can handle any number of the customers and thus no one will ever again miss a goal due to endless waiting in lines.

When asked why the Steel Arena decided to digitize the ordering process, Mr. Hollý answered: "First of all, we wanted to increase the comfort for our visitors, but we were also motivated to reduce the staff's error rate, accelerate orders creation and thus sell more during the match ."

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Another, even more convenient way for guests to order are mobile apps. No need to install anything, create an account or fill in the card number (if using Google or Apple Pay). By simple scanning the QR code with the built-in camera on their mobile phones, the menu opens and they create an order within three clicks! At the same time, this QR code can point to a specific place, such as individual seats, VIP salons, or just display it on a "cube" in the middle of the stadium.

Of course, changes and innovations of this nature are not easy, but as Mr. Hollý confirmed to us: "Before the cooperation, we were afraid whether our visitors will understand and enjoy the new concept, but even from the statistics and the reactions of the visitors themselves, we knew after the first game that the fears were unfounded."

He also told us about how the staff reacted on the change: "At the beginning, they were not completely enthusiastic, as with any change. But I was very surprised how quickly and smoothly they understood the new system."

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We also don't forget about the old generation or people with cash. Thanks to our hybrid fiscal cash registers, which can be easily removed from their base during the match to sell by cashiers among the audience. Before the break, they can put the tablet back in the base in the stands to boost the sales there. In this way, the stadium buys half the number of cash registers as it has both - the portable and static in one.

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All these orders arrive on a large screen in the stand's kitchen, from which the staff reads, prepares the order and finally marks it as ready with one click. This will automatically send the customer either a mobile notification or change the order status on the order calling TV screen. So you don't have to worry about ordering, paying, confirming or calling the customer - everything happens automatically.​​

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Another important aspect at the stadium is working with the audience and gamification - turning ordering into fun. Whether you have regular VIP visitors or someone just won a competition during the break - thanks to coupons, happy hours or loyalty points, you can support sales even more and simplify internal processes.

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Of course, we don't want to stop at the food. Self-service kiosks have a special mode for selling tickets, merch, or whatever you choose - contact us at contact@eatster.app and we'll figure it something out together!

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