FSR January 2023

NEX TGEN TRENDSE T TERS

rience for all our guests, whether they are com ing to the venue for date night, a corporate event, an afternoon out with friends, or celebrating a big milestone.” Fresh off a capital round of $150 million from BlackRock Invest ments, Puttshack plans to open new locations in Dallas, Denver, Hous ton, and more this year. It’s also working on what Walmesley describes as a “never-before-seen gaming component,” that will debut at one of the new stores.

guests to book a mini golf game and confirm a dining reservation in advance.” Walmesley adds that paying attention and keeping a pulse on each location helps inform what new advance ments the team should explore. “Restaurants can start by actively listen ing to the needs and desires of their guests,” Walmesley says. “We are very intentional about creating an exciting and unique expe

SUSAN WALMESLEY CHIEF MARKET ING OFFICER Puttshack

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: ENHANCE EATERTAINMENT EXPERIENCES THROUGH SEAMLESS TECH.

I nnovation has been part of the Puttshack blueprint since day one, says chief marketing officer Susan Walmes ley. In addition to glob ally inspired bites and drinks, the U.K.-based eatertainment concept offers visitors interactive mini golf with themed holes like life-size beer pong, air hockey, and Connect Four. Proprie tary tech such as Track a-Ball keeps score and records stats like num ber of strokes, hazards, and bonus points. “Puttshack has taken everything you thought you knew about mini golf and flipped it on its head,” Walmesley says. “Even still, we’re in the process of discover ing new ways to further elevate the Puttshack experience.”

Prior to roll out, each new

initiative has its own dedicated teams and committees to ensure the many moving parts work together in syn chronicity. (This strat egy even extends to the F&B side with a tasting committee that evalu ates new menu items.) But for all the moving parts behind the scenes, Puttshack prioritizes a seamless guest experi ence, which Walmesley says is just as important as launching shiny new features. “We prioritize mak ing sure the guest expe rience remains sim ple, even when things are super complex on the backend,” she says. “That includes making the venues accessible to everyone, and allowing

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