The Irish pub app — discovery brief

01 / The basics

The pub

What's the pub called? or the working name, if it's not settled

Where is it?

When do the doors open?

Roughly how many people does it seat?

Your part in it

I own it I own it with partners I'll be running it day to day I'm backing it, someone else runs it

02 / The fork in the road

What "an app" actually means here

This one question moves the timeline more than everything else combined, so it's worth thirty seconds.

Which of these is closest to what you're picturing?

A site that looks and feels like an app on a phone — nothing to download A real app people install from the App Store and Google Play Both eventually, but the phone site first Not sure — tell me which you'd recommend and why

What would make a customer bother downloading it, rather than just opening the website? honest answers welcome — "I hadn't thought about that" is a real answer

Who's it mainly for?

Regulars Expats and tourists Groups coming in for a match The office lunch and after-work crowd Anyone walking past Function and party bookers

03 / The menu

What's on, and who changes it

Is the menu written yet?

How often will it change?

Who'll actually update it? you, a manager, the chef, nobody

Should people be able to order from it?

04 / Bookings

Tables, groups, and no-shows

How are you planning to take bookings on day one? phone, Facebook messages, walk-ins, a system you've already bought

What needs booking?

Biggest party you'd take online without a phone call?

Deposits or card details to stop no-shows?

Yes, on everything Only big groups and private hire No Hadn't considered it

Does it need to know your real table layout, or just count heads?

Assign actual tables Just count covers against a capacity Not sure

How does the guest hear back?

05 / The sports

The calendar — the bit that makes it an Irish pub

A menu and a booking form is every restaurant. The fixture list is the reason someone opens it on a Tuesday.

Where do the fixtures come from?

Pull them in automatically — I don't want to type them Someone here types them in each week Whichever is cheaper and simpler Don't mind, you decide

If it's manual, who's doing it every week?

European kickoffs land in the small hours out here. Are you opening for them?

Yes — early doors for the big ones Only for the very biggest No — we'll show the replay later Haven't worked that out yet

What sits next to a fixture?

Which screen it's on Whether we're actually showing it Book a table for that match Match-day food or drink offer Sound on / big screen flag Remind me before kick-off Add to my phone calendar

Do you know which broadcaster or package you'll have? matters — it decides what we're allowed to advertise publicly

06 / Website and socials

What "linked to" needs to mean

Is there a website yet?

Yes, it's live Domain bought, nothing on it Neither

What's the address?

Handles, if there are any

You said "linked to" — which of these did you mean?

Post once, it appears everywhere Show the Instagram feed inside the app Just buttons through to the pages Events and fixtures also post to Facebook Google Maps, opening hours and "open now" always right All of it

Who's posting day to day once you're open?

07 / After opening

The honest bit

Most pub apps die three weeks after launch because the menu goes stale. I'd rather design around the truth.

Realistically, who keeps it current once you're open and slammed?

How comfortable is that person with this sort of thing?

What till or POS system are you putting in? if there is one, the menu may be able to come straight from it

Reliable internet in the venue?

Yes Should be by opening Not sure It's the Philippines — no

08 / Time and money

What you'd want, and when

When would you want it live?

If it could only do ONE of the three at opening — menu, bookings, or the fixtures — which one? and what makes it that one

Rough budget in your head?

A small monthly fee for hosting, fixtures and updates — how does that sit?

Fine Prefer a one-off and I'll manage it Depends what it is

Anyone else who has to say yes to this?

09 / The dream

If I could wave a wand

One thing about running the pub handled for you, forever. What is it?

Any pub, bar or restaurant app or site you've seen and liked? a name or a link is plenty

Anything you definitely don't want?

Anything I haven't asked that I should have?