Case Studies
Sydney’s beloved pub: How Hotel Rose Bay keeps up with delivery using Otter
Local neighbourhood pub with a side of history
A scenic drive along the coast from the city to New South Head brings Sydney’s knowing diners to the beautiful Hotel Rose Bay.
Set in a 1920s hotel building revitalised with a contemporary Art Deco-style design just a couple years back, the pub quickly became a staple in the neighbourhood.
Chic public bar, lofty dining room and inviting atmosphere aside, the pub’s well loved for its great cocktails and modern Australian fare.
They’re also one of our customers, using a powerful combination of Otter’s Order Manager and Direct Orders solutions to streamline delivery and maximise profits on every order.
Running an award-winning pub
Toby Chick, general manager licensee at Hotel Rose Bay, is an industry veteran with over 16 years of hospitality experience under his belt.
So it’s no surprise that under his watch, the pub has gone on to sweep accolades at the Australian Hospitality Awards, from Best Casual Dining in the Eastern suburbs and CBD to Metropolitan Chef of the Year.
Building the pub from the ground, literally from when it was just a construction site—to its schmick, fancy full-table service setup today, he also snagged a well-deserving Best Individual Operator of the Year award.
We sat down with Toby to learn how the team continues to deliver a memorable Hotel Rose Bay dining experience to every customer, on and off premises.
Delivering cocktails and more in difficult times
For a pub to navigate the pandemic’s multiple lockdowns successfully is a feat of its own. It’s even more impressive to hear how Hotel Rose Bay pivoted with an innovative idea to package ready-to-drink cocktails for delivery.
At that time, takeaway and delivery became a saving grace for the pub and the feedback they got from customers was extremely optimistic.
But execution wasn’t as easy as it sounds. Toby says they started with one delivery service, which quickly became two, and then three.
“What that looked like was multiple tablets, multiple orders coming through—there were complications with more orders being missed, increased possibility of mistakes.”
A positive change in partnering with Otter
When Toby and the team finally decided to look out for an order aggregator to consolidate the process and get order issues down, reporting was also a key consideration.
One tablet for all orders to come through, and one single place to view performances—that was the operator’s dream.
Toby made the call to go with Otter, thanks to the variety of solutions within the all-in-one restaurant operating system and strategic pricing.
“It was the perfect system for what we were trying to achieve: streamlining processes, minimising errors.”
When it comes to change, Toby is privy to the hospitality industry norms. He explains how many restaurants get very concerned about change, which is understandable given the risks. But he believes it’s essential that the industry stays ahead of the curve with systems like Otter that’s here to make restaurant management simpler.
How to support Hotel Rose Bay
If you’re in Sydney, take a ride out to New South Head and pull up a chair by Hotel Rose Bay’s emerald granite countertops. And if you’re feeling dinner and drinks at home, there’s always delivery!
🌐 Stay in touch with Toby and the team on Hotel Rose Bay’s Instagram and website pages.
