Transforming a UK-Based Restaurant Chain’s Digital Presence
Success Story
A well-established UK restaurant chain with over 80 locations needed to modernise its online platforms for both in-house dining and an e-commerce meal kit service. Their existing infrastructure relied heavily on third-party integrations and hosted WordPress solutions, making day-to-day management cumbersome and cost-intensive. Determined to lower operational overheads and deliver a smoother user experience, they sought to improve website performance, adopt agile workflows, and upskill their internal development team. By early 2023, the company embarked on a comprehensive overhaul, ranging from a new tech stack to in-house DevOps practices, all aimed at ensuring scalability, faster load times, and streamlined processes for both diners and online shoppers.
20% Reduction in Operational Costs
30% Improvement in Site Load Times
25% Increase in User Engagement
Challenges
Despite a strong brand presence and numerous franchise locations, the restaurant’s digital ecosystem struggled to keep pace with evolving customer expectations. Their legacy WordPress-based site and reliance on various external integrations—menus, booking services, CRM tools—created friction whenever new features or changes were required. Performance bottlenecks emerged during peak traffic, raising concerns over reliability and user satisfaction.
In parallel, the organisation wanted more direct control over its technology, hoping to reduce hosting fees and vendor lock-in. However, their internal team lacked exposure to modern full-stack development and agile methodologies, complicating any large-scale transition. Key stakeholders also highlighted the urgency of reining in costs and ensuring consistent performance across both the main restaurant platform and the e-commerce channel.
Our Solution
To address these pressures, a multi-pronged plan was implemented. First, the main restaurant website underwent a complete rebuild using React and Next.js, bringing a modern, responsive design capable of faster server-side rendering. WordPress remained in use for certain content management features, but was carefully segmented to ensure it no longer dictated the overall tech ecosystem. At the same time, the in-house team received hands-on training in full-stack JavaScript, agile methodologies, and DevOps, empowering them to take the lead on future enhancements.
Next, the project tackled performance and scalability by migrating to Microsoft Azure. Through Azure Functions and a newly introduced microservices layer, each website component was decoupled to allow independent scaling and maintenance. This shift away from managed hosting services not only reduced operational expenses but also provided granular control over feature rollouts.
A dedicated DevOps initiative further streamlined processes. Automated CI/CD pipelines were set up to facilitate rapid deployments, and the internal staff transitioned away from relying on third-party vendors for routine releases. For added user engagement, an interactive event calendar was built, allowing customers to find location-specific specials or themed dinners—an innovation that not only increased website dwell time but also drove additional foot traffic to the restaurants.
Results & Business Impact
- Lower Operating Expenses A 20% drop in operational costs emerged from retiring expensive hosting packages and transitioning to in-house DevOps.
- Faster Website Performance With Next.js, React, and Azure-based microservices, page load times improved by roughly 30%, keeping visitors engaged and boosting e-commerce conversion rates.
- Stronger Technical Independence In-house skills in agile development, DevOps, and modern frameworks positioned the client to manage future upgrades without extensive external support.
- Enhanced Customer Engagement The introduction of a dynamic event calendar across 80+ restaurant locations increased user interactions and repeat visits by roughly 25%.
- Scalable Framework
Microservices on Azure Functions offered the flexibility to scale individual services up or down based on demand, mitigating traffic spikes and preserving site performance.
Looking Ahead
With its digital transformation well underway, the restaurant chain now plans to refine its data analytics capabilities, tracking user journeys more closely to personalise the online experience. Enhanced insights into customer preferences will influence menu innovations, marketing campaigns, and targeted promotions—both in-house and through e-commerce channels.
Additionally, the internal development team is set to expand its microservices approach to other business areas, such as loyalty programes and automated inventory systems. By embracing agile processes and cloud-native solutions, this rapidly evolving restaurant brand is well-positioned to keep pace with culinary trends, consumer demands, and emerging opportunities in the competitive food and beverage sector.
