Mobile technology firm QikServe has rolled out what it claims is the first mobile app that enables supporters to buy food and drink at a UK sporting event. The QikServe app is being rolled out at Tynecastle Stadium, home of Heart of Midlothian Football Club in Scotland.

At tomorrow’s home game against Motherwell, a section of the home supporters will be able to use their Android or iOS smartphone to place orders for their food and drinks during the match.

QikServe has partnered with Hearts’ catering company, Saltire Hospitality, to offer over 3,000 supporters the opportunity to skip the queues and have their orders delivered direct to their seats. Following this initial deployment, QikServe will be rolled out across the stadium in stages throughout 2013.

“This is a UK first in terms of the use of mobile technology for ordering at a football match,” said Martin McAvoy, business development manager at Saltire Hospitality. “At Saltire, we look to make use of new and innovative technologies to help improve the customer experience, and QikServe ticks all the boxes.”
Using a simple web-based interface, the QikServe App can be easily customised by Saltire to offer any items it chooses. The app could also be configured to offer a wider range of food and drinks, or non-food items such as match programmes, memorabilia or items from the club shop.

The QikServe App, which is already used in the casual dining and hotel room service sectors, is available as a free download, and allows secure payment via credit card or PayPal. Supporters that have downloaded the app will be able to scan QR codes on their seats to be presented with a menu offering a list of food and drink options and will be able to place orders throughout the match. QikServe orders will be put on hold during the half-time period, while the concessions kiosks are at their busiest.

The QikServe App connects to the QikServe platform over the internet using a mobile data connection. The QikServe platform is a cloud-based service which stores and processes orders, routing them to Saltire’s ordering systems. Currently available for Android and iOS (iPhone and iPad), the QikServe App will soon also be available for Windows devices.

“The classic pie and Bovril combination is a British football tradition and that will never change, but our goal is to use mobile technology to bring that tradition into the 21st century,” said QikServe founder, Dan Rodgers. “The convenience of ordering from your seat is a perk normally reserved for the executive boxes, but QikServe makes it possible for everyone!”