LOCAL LEGENDS: FasTab brings efficiency to the table

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Winnipeg is known for its multicultural culinary scene, to which every foodie, including myself, can attest. Nothing compares to savouring a creamy risotto paired with an oaky red wine and meaningful conversation. However, we’ve all experienced, at one time or another, a lengthy wait to pay for our tab. What if we no longer needed the attention of our waiter to do so? Scan a QR code, pay or split the tab and go! This is what Winnipeg’s own Zech and Carson from FasTab have brought to our local dining industry.

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What is FasTab and why we love it

Simply put, FasTab is a digital pay-at-the-table solution that allows guests to view the restaurant’s menu as soon as they’re seated, monitor, pay or split their tab in real-time, and leave a review. The best part? 10 seconds is all it takes and all you need is a smartphone, no app is required. “You can choose when you want to go out by making a reservation, but you can’t always choose when you leave because you need to wait for the bill,” says Carson, co-founder of FasTab, as one of the many reasons they developed this solution. “That’s why FasTab was created: Allowing customers to pay on their own time if they need to get to that concert, Jet’s game, or meeting.”

This next-gen payment option allows servers to dedicate more time to customers, ensuring an authentic dining experience. “Your servers only have so much time to address each table,” says Zech. “FasTab leaves servers more time to give that ‘catered experience’ which people do go to restaurants for.”

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Humble beginnings in Winnipeg

The idea for FasTab was conceived through nothing more than a buddy’s stag party. “Twelve of us planned to go to five different bars in Winnipeg. Being poor university students, we needed to pay our individual tabs, and it took forever,” relates Carson. “We only ended up going to two out of the five restaurants. That personal experience is what sparked the idea.”

Winnipegers Zech and Carson were introduced through the MTA (Manitoba Technology Accelerator), and have been inseparable ever since. “We saw the opportunity and wanted to take that leap of faith,” says Zech.

FasTab was launched in November of 2022 and continues to gain popularity, expanding into the western provinces. “I think that people discount Manitoba for bringing cool, new innovative products to market,” says Zech. “What’s sometimes forgotten is that we’ve built many cool companies in the Prairies. There are so many smart, talented people, specifically within Manitoba.”

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Benefits of FasTab to a restaurant owner

Heightened Customer Experience

With FasTab, servers can focus on the serving experience, advising customers and building real, human connections. “That’s what people do when they build a restaurant — they put their time, effort, blood, sweat and tears into making an environment unique and special with their food menu and serving staff. FasTab helps complement all this time and energy that the restaurant owners have put in,” says Zech. More time is spent where it counts and paying the tab becomes a fast, easy, and seamless experience that keeps customers coming back.

More ‘Butts in Seats’

Tables turn over up to 2x faster, which translates into more revenue. Guests also spend an average of 20% more when using FasTab due to better customer experience and being in complete control of their time. “Anything that restaurants can do to create a memorable experience in this economy, they do,” says Zech.

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Servers Earn More Tip

Servers earn on average 30% higher tips at every table.

Receive Instant Feedback

Restaurant owners receive real-time reviews from every guest. Negative reviews can be kept in-house as a form of refinement and positive reviews can be shared online.

FasTab’s Future Plans

“Manitoba is a very supportive community,” says Carson. Once restaurants join FasTab, they stick with it. “Manitobans want to support other Manitobans.”

With new restaurants on board every week, Zech and Carson have put together an amazing team projected to double in size before year’s end. Their focus will be on expansion throughout Canada and bettering customer experience.

Don’t hesitate to request FasTab at your favourite local eateries and watering holes!

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