After nearly two years of unprecedented success in Ilkley, local takeaway delivery app, Pronto, has branched out, adding independent restaurants in Leeds to their service. Customers will be able to order from their favourite takeaways in Leeds from February 1st via the Pronto app.
The app, which launched in March 2020, is the brainchild of husband-and-wife team, Cat and Mark Barrett who live in Ilkley and work in Leeds. As lockdown swept the nation, the couple wanted to provide residents in Ilkley with access to great food, at the same time as supporting the huge hospitality sector within the town with a better, fairer, deal.
Charging a low 10% commission, and focussing on restaurants as well as end customer service, has led to a lot of happy customers. Instead of working with call centres, restaurants can change their menu whenever they like through the backend system - putting them in control to change prices, add specials, and tweak lots of other settings too.
Pronto has integrated with a full rider network including bikes, scooters and cars. Restaurants can choose to use the rider network, or use their own drivers instead, and they can select collection, or table service too. The rider network was chosen as it is committed to providing staff with guaranteed hourly rates, regardless of how many orders they deliver, again showcasing Pronto’s passion for being ethical and providing a fair system.
Speaking about Pronto, co-founder, Cat Barrett says: “My team and I spent a long time developing the Pronto app. We needed it to be flawless and flexible so it could adapt to huge order volumes and be user-friendly for both for the indie business and the customer. We’re delighted to be able to expand into Leeds and work with some of our favourite restaurants after all these years of eating at them ourselves. There are so many incredible different types of food to discover and Pronto is offering a much better deal for restaurants by keeping more money in their pockets.”
The expansion of the app into Leeds Leeds will see customers accessing food from Doh'hut, Slap and Pickle, Manjits Kitchen, Humpit, and Crowd of Favours, as well as many other hugely popular indie staples.
Pronto is not just about enabling more people to access indie eateries, though. It is their level of customer service that sets them apart. Whilst they provide an online presence for the restaurants on the app, some of which have never had that before, they also offer full circle support.
Mark Barrett explains: “We wanted to focus on customer service, but for the businesses on the app as much as the customers using it. We are there at every step of the way and are always at the end of the phone or a WhatsApp message if anyone needs our support. Many businesses on the app haven’t really had a strong online presence before so we’ve provided them with step-by-step support to get them started. It gives us that local feel that we pride ourselves on, when we’re only a phone call away. No long waiting times or automated messages, just a straight forward, human-first approach.”
The benefits don’t end there because the Pronto app also reduces the need for so many phone calls, freeing the business up to do what it does best – providing their local community with incredible food. Fewer phone calls also reduces the risk of personal details being overheard or orders being written down incorrectly. And with Pronto only charging 10% commission to businesses on the app, as opposed to the 30-35% charged by big national takeaway brands, this is significant.
At Pronto, the team is constantly adapting to the needs of the customer and restaurant, hence why they are now attracting businesses in Leeds. Speaking about being part of Pronto, owner of Host & Joels Chicken Buns in Ilkley, Joel Monkman, says: “We jumped at the chance to get Host on the Pronto platform, which has very low commission rates. It's effortless to make menu changes within the system and if you ever get stuck, the customer service provided by pronto is personal, fast and highly effective. Our take-out has become so popular that we have now launched an additional take-out business, Joel’s Chicken Buns, which is also on the Pronto app.”
Sustainability is also important to Cat and Mark, who love that many of the businesses they represent use locally sourced produce and utilise sustainable practices. It is all about creating a big impact on communities, whilst having as little impact on the planet as possible.
Cat continues: “We are so proud and passionate about Pronto. For us, it’s not just about creating a business, it’s about bringing communities together. That was particularly important during the pandemic and various lockdowns, but it continues to be important now. The fact that we can bring great, independent businesses together with the people living in West Yorkshire is what gives us a spring in our step every day.”
Their inclusion of restaurants in Leeds is a really positive step for Pronto, who will continue to add independent businesses to the app’s offering over time. Whether you want food from a restaurant that you know and love, or you want to discover something totally different, Pronto is your one-stop-shop for the best indie takeaways in Leeds. You can download their Android or Apple apps via www.pronto.co.uk
