Local delivery app Pronto has expanded into Leeds as a result of huge success where it started two years ago, in Ilkley. Customers of local independent eateries in the City can now order their meals via Pronto.
Pronto is the brainchild of husband-and-wife team, Cat and Mark Barrett, who live in Ilkley and work in Leeds. As lockdown swept the nation, the couple wanted to provide residents in Ilkley with access to great food, at the same time as supporting the huge hospitality sector within the town with a better, fairer, deal.
Focussing on restaurants as well as end customer service, Pronto charges a very low 10% commission for its service, which has led to a lot of satisfied customers. Restaurants don’t need to work with call centres, and can change their menus whenever they like through the backend system. This puts them firmly in control so they can change prices, add specials, and make other changes as and when they please.
A full rider network includes bikes, scooters and cars. Restaurants can choose to use the rider network, or use their own drivers instead, and can select table service or collection. Riders are guaranteed hourly rates, regardless of how many orders they deliver, demonstrating Pronto’s passion for being ethical and providing a fair system.
Cat Barrett: “My team and I spent a long time developing the Pronto app. We needed it to be flawless and flexible so it could adapt to huge order volumes and be user-friendly for both for the indie business and the customer. We’re delighted to be able to expand into Leeds and work with some of our favourite restaurants after all these years of eating at them ourselves. There are so many incredible different types of food to discover and Pronto is offering a much better deal for restaurants by keeping more money in their pockets.”
Customers can enjoy food from Doh’hut, Slap and Pickle, Manjit’s Kitchen, Humpit, and Crowd of Favours, along with many other well-recognised names in Leeds. As well as providing an online presence (which some haven’t had before), Pronto also offers a high level of customer service, which Mark Barrett explained:
“We wanted to focus on customer service, but for the businesses on the app as much as the customers using it. We are there at every step of the way and are always at the end of the phone or a WhatsApp message if anyone needs our support. Many businesses on the app haven’t really had a strong online presence before so we’ve provided them with step-by-step support to get them started. It gives us that local feel that we pride ourselves on, when we’re only a phone call away. No long waiting times or automated messages, just a straight forward, human-first approach.”
Another advantage of the app is that it reduces the number of ‘phone calls that restaurants have to take, so no personal details can be overheard or mistakes made with orders. Of course, the big difference in commission is another important attraction.
Owners of Host & Joels Chicken Buns in Ilkley, Joel Monkman:“We jumped at the chance to get Host on the Pronto platform, which has very low commission rates. It’s effortless to make menu changes within the system and if you ever get stuck, the customer service provided by Pronto is personal, fast and highly effective. Our take-out has become so popular that we have now launched an additional take-out business, Joel’s Chicken Buns, which is also on the Pronto app.”
Sustainability is also important to Cat and Mark, who particularly appreciate that many of the businesses they represent use locally sourced produce and utilise sustainable practices. A big impact on communities and a small impact on the planet.
Cat: “We are so proud and passionate about Pronto. For us, it’s not just about creating a business; it’s about bringing communities together. That was particularly important during the pandemic and various lockdowns, but it continues to be important now. The fact that we can bring great, independent businesses together with the people living in West Yorkshire is what gives us a spring in our step every day.”
Pronto is your one-stop-shop for the best indie takeaways in Leeds.
You can download their Android or Apple apps via www.pronto.co.uk
Feature photograph: Courtesy of Slap n Pickle.
