UAE’s innovative F&B tech start-up, Opaala, announced its partnership with Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC) to seamlessly facilitate the dining experience for visitors and restaurants alike during the largest tech event of the year, Gitex, taking place from the 6th until the 9th of December. The year’s most anticipated tech event will host a multitude of leading tech companies at DWTC, where Opaala will power seven different restaurants to make ordering food and beverages simpler, faster, and safer with the COVID-19 pandemic in place.

The global health pandemic brought by COVID-19 has presented new challenges for many restaurants who were looking for new efficient and hygienic solutions when serving their customers. As such, DWTC first partnered with Opaala back in August 2020 for the Jimmy Carr show, when the F&B tech start-up presented its revolutionary concept offering vendors and visitors a quick and easy solution to ordering and serving food throughout the event. Following the success of the companies’ pilot project together, DWTC extended the partnership for a ‘smart and seamless’ ordering experience including this year’s largest tech event, Gitex, which will be providing a cashfree, contactless, COVID-compliant ordering mechanism for the event. Opaala has been selected by DWTC after the platform has proven to improve operational efficiency for both F&B outlets and customers alike with key advantages such as eliminating long queues, the need for physical menus or receipts, and delivering orders in a faster and more organized manner.

This year, DWTC will implement Opaala’s ordering system at Gitex in order to maintain its high quality operational standard, enhanced service, and provide a fully contactless system. To achieve this, QR codes that will initiate the Opaala interactive, digital menu, will be placed at various locations throughout the event including dining tables, digital screens, and key high traffic areas across the premises for customers to scan. In addition, Opaala’s latest innovative ‘Food Court Mode’ will power seven different restaurants to facilitate a smooth experience through a single unified ordering platform for all venues. Every QR code throughout the venue touch points will direct customers to Opaala’s smart service platform to use its first-of-its-kind ordering features. From a single QR code, customers will be able to order from several restaurants at once under one bill, eliminating the hassle of having to find a table or waiting in long queues to place an order. Event visitors will be able to order from different venues from the same menu and each restaurant will receive and process only the relevant items of its menu for either table delivery or pickup. Guests will be able to pay with debit or credit cards, or by using ApplePlay instead of having to handle cash, which also adheres to the COVID-19 safety precautions set by medical experts for contactless interactions.

Opaala was born out of the desire to bring a solution to the many issues hospitality and F&B venues faced on a daily basis which often-times lead to a loss of sales. Opaala’s interactive menu platform changes the traditional ‘8-step service model’ by reducing staff costs, eliminating service waiting times, and increasing revenue through a contactless, app-free and mobile-powered solution.

With Opaala, customers can simply scan a QR code and browse through its vibrant-design and interactive menus where they can place orders, enter dietary requirements, request for the assistance of a waiter, or call for the bill and pay all through their device. Being a browser-based food ordering platform eliminates the need to download a separate mobile application, it also allows for direct integration into the venue’s Point of Sale (POS) system and can be customized for other branding requirements. Venues utilizing the Opaala online platform can also host daily and hourly specials on their interactive menus and schedule them for future events, which will enable them to organically market their offerings at the time of ordering. Further simplifying the ‘going-out’ experience, Opaala offers automatic bill-splitting, making it easier for guests and venues to clear the cheque effortlessly. These unique features have been the core success traits of Opaala’s smart service system. 

The Opaala food ordering platform can be used across the hospitality and F&B industries, including restaurants, cinemas, hospitals, food courts, in-room and within lounges and beach cabanas at hotels, stadiums and events arenas. Following Gitex 2020, Opaala will continue to work closely with DWTC to provide its smart service platform for other F&B outlets across different events and with permanent venue partnerships. Interested service providers and customers can visit Opaala.com for more information. Visit us at Gitex, Sheikh Maktoum Hall, Marketing Mania, Booth MM2.