More online www.thecaterer.com Resy to shut down UK operations


The restaurant booking platform will wind down in the UK by August, choosing to focus instead on its US and Canadian operations


By Sophie Witts


Restaurant booking platform Resy is to shut down its UK operations after seven years by the end of this summer. The hospitality technology company said it was shifting to focus on the US and Canadian markets and would wind down in the UK by 31 August. A Resy spokesperson told The


Caterer: “Resy has been proud to work with many of the best restaurants in the UK and to be a trusted resource for diners. However, after much considera- tion, Resy will close its business in the UK and focus on its US and Canadian operations. “The Resy team will work


closely with all restaurant part- ners to assist with the offboard- ing process and ensure that existing reservations are man- aged seamlessly.” Resy was launched in the US


in 2014 by a trio including restau- rant industry entrepreneur Ben


Leventhal, who also co-created the Eater hospitality news website. It offers back of house tools


such as table management and analytics for restaurant


Resy launched in the UK in 2017, offering back of house tools such as table management and analytics


partners as well as trend reports and guides. The app also alerts users when


tables become available at the last minute, helping restaurants reduce the impact of no-shows and last-minute cancellations. The platform launched in the


UK in 2017 and was bought by American Express in 2019, with eligible card members given


special access to bookings. A Resy spokesperson said American Express members would “continue to enjoy existing dining benefits” and restaurants remained “incred- ibly valuable partners” for the business in the UK. “The company remains com-


mitted to supporting the UK culi- nary scene and to expanding the


thriving network of restaurants who welcome our card mem- bers,” a spokesperson added. Leventhal stepped down from


his general manager role at the company in 2019 but remains an advisor to the company. He has since founded loyalty plat- form Blackbird in the US.


sophie.witts@thecaterer.com Genuine Dining duo complete 3,000-mile charity row


Chris Mitchell and Robbie Laidlaw have completed their charity row across the Atlantic, arriving at Antigua after 38 days at sea. The team, who dubbed their journey the ‘Spirit of Hospital- ity’, finished first in the pairs and before any trio within the fleet. Genuine Dining chief execu-


tive Mitchell and business development director Laidlaw took on what is described as the world’s toughest row to raise funds for Hospitality Action. They set off on the 3,000-


mile journey from San Sebas- tian in La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua on 13 December. Not only have the pair com-


www.thecaterer.com


pleted the row ahead of the rest of the field, but they have also raised over £160,000 for the charity. The duo arrived in Antigua


after 38 days, 15 hours and three minutes at sea to a hero’s wel- come from family and friends. Back on dry land, Laidlaw


said: “I couldn’t actually put into words how crazy it was. It was absolutely mental.” Mitchell and Laidlaw had charted their progress on social media, recording the pres- sures of rowing a small boat such a distance, along with the experience of watching sunsets alone at sea and nights under the stars. In one post, Mitchell called shore to report an “interest-


ing 24 hours” after the Spirit of Hospitality boat capsized. In a message shared on the


Spirit of Hospitality team’s Ins- tagram page he said: “We were flying along, probably going too fast to keep our advantage and a wave blew up and nicked us on the side and pushed the boat up. Robbie ended up in the water and I ended up upside down in my cabin, Maria [the boat] was great – she flipped back over, and we were all back on.” The setback was soon over-


Chris Mitchell and Robbie Laidlaw


come, and the pair rowed into Antigua around 30 days later. To support Mitchell and Laidlaw’s efforts, donate at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ spiritofhospitality


26 January 2024 | The Caterer | 7


RESY


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