Buck’s Bar Group:

How OpenTable helps a bar & restaurant group manage their venues in Scotland

Fast facts

	Restaurant name: Buck’s Bar
	Type of restaurant: Group
	6 Locations: Glasgow, Edinburgh
	Year founded: 2016

Michael Bergson is the Managing Director of the multi-venue Buck’s Bar Group and kicked off his hospitality journey in his father’s local pub. From humble origins, he diligently climbed the hospitality ladder, honing his skills in various restaurant roles. With accumulated experience and capital, he was finally able to realise his dream of launching his own brand. Today, Buck’s Bar Group stands as a testament to his perseverance and vision, boasting six thriving venues across Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Warmly lit, cosy and inviting, these venues blend comfort food with pub classics, serving wings and authentic buttermilk fried chicken alongside beer cocktails and bourbon, creating what Michael lovingly refers to as “a real good-time place.”

Consistency between sites is crucial to Michael, as is the ability to have a holistic view of bookings. Whenever customers see the soft red glow emanating from behind a Buck’s Bar sign, they know they’ve found a place to relax and unwind, enjoying smooth service, good food and top-notch drinks.

“I have OpenTable on my iPad – wherever I am … I can access the bookings.”

Michael says OpenTable is central to his ability to deliver this consistently across all his venues. The restaurant management software also gives customers what they want right now: the ability to “check your rating, check your reviews, look at your menu, and book right away.”

Fast facts

	Restaurant name: Buck’s Bar
	Type of restaurant: Group
	6 Location: Glasgow, Edinburgh
	Year founded: 2016

Michael Bergson is theManaging Director of the multi-venue Buck’s Bar Group and kicked off his hospitality journey in his father’s local pub. From humble origins, he diligently climbed the hospitality ladder, honing his skills in various restaurant roles. With accumulated experience and capital, he was finally able to realise his dream of launching his own brand. Today, Buck’s Bar Group stands as a testament to his perseverance and vision, boasting six thriving venues across Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Warmly lit, cosy and inviting, these venues blend comfort food with pub classics, serving wings and authentic buttermilk fried chicken alongside beer cocktails and bourbon, creating what Michael lovingly refers to as “a real good-time place.”

Consistency between sites is crucial to Michael, as is the ability to have a holistic view of bookings. Whenever customers see the soft red glow emanating from behind a Buck’s Bar sign, they know they’ve found a place to relax and unwind, enjoying smooth service, good food and top-notch drinks.

Michael says OpenTable is central to his ability to deliver this consistently across all his venues. The restaurant management software also gives customers what they want right now: the ability to “check your rating, check your reviews, look at your menu, and book right away.”

Converting no-shows into 4,000 profitable last-minute bookings for the restaurant group

Which OpenTable features does Michael value most? In short, “everything.” Of course, he has his favourites. “A feature I definitely think is so key to us is the deposit facility. Normally it would be absolute chaos trying to get deposits in. OpenTable has eradicated that.”

Being able to track no-shows has also been a game-changer. “You then have a better idea of how many covers are coming in. Since January of last year, we’ve had [close to] 4,000 covers book within 90 minutes of their reservations. If we have a no-show… we know we can fill that space right away.”

In other words, without the support of OpenTable, Buck’s Bar Group may have missed out on 3,783 last-minute covers – 17% of their total bookings for that period. OpenTable allows Buck’s Bar Group to capture this hidden market. As Michael says, “We know we can fill that space right away. That’s a lot of revenue when you look across 4,000 covers, and absolutely key in the current environment.”

“You want to make sure your regulars are looked after. One of the great things about OpenTable is we can attach notes to those customers, so every time they book, their preferences are there.”

Michael Bergson, Managing Director, Buck’s Bar Group

OpenTable delivers flexible solutions for unique customer needs

OpenTable is invaluable for Michael’s floor managers. “We started using OpenTable when we only had one site, managing bookings and walk-ins.” Some covers stay longer than anticipated, others want to leave earlier. OpenTable helps staff juggle these shifting needs seamlessly.

The restaurant management software also helps Buck’s Bar Group adapt to the unique and shifting needs of each customer. “You want to make sure your regulars are looked after. One of the great things about OpenTable is we can attach notes to those customers, so every time they book, their preferences are there.”

Thanks to this information, Michael can give every customer a personalised experience on-site and in their communications. “With the data we collect about our customers, we know from OpenTable that these people want to hear from us.”

Michael’s advice to fellow restaurateurs is straightforward: “If you’re considering OpenTable, speak to someone who uses it…

“… It’s the slickest and simplest way to access so many different areas of your business. That’s why I would recommend it – it decomplicates things.”

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