Martin Hartmann is not afraid that digitizing gastronomy would render the industry impersonal. Instead, this summer he introduced luca Pay as a payment method at his restaurant Sissi on Motzstraße in Schöneberg, Berlin. His first conclusion: The staff can provide the guests with much more individualized service.

About Sissi

Originally, Sissi was conceptualized as a deli with lunch options. But shortly after opening, enthusiastic guests began urging Hartmann to open a restaurant. And so, the one-room store became a two-floored dining location with a large outdoor area.
“Our job,” Hartmann says, “is to identify desires that the guests themself don’t even know about yet – that’s service.” The Sissi concept he describes as “unadorned Austrian cuisine, a little lighter than usual. And casual service.”

True to tradition and modern impact

The Sissi vision

Hartmann and his team are all about combining Austrian tradition and Berlin’s lifestyle in one organic approach. Their concept therefore includes a menu with Austrian classics such as “Käs-Spätzle” from Vorarlberg and Viennese Goulash, as well as the contactless payment method luca Pay.

”
The customers pay stress-free at their table, whenever they want. This saves the staff a trip – and thus they have more time to talk to the guest or respond to personal requests.
Martin Hartmann
Owner Restaurant Sissi

The luca QR codes on the tables allow guests to pay the bill independently without having to wait for the waitress or the waiter. “It is a less stressful experience for the guests when the whole process runs smoothly,” Hartmann says, “because paying digitally at the table saves the staff multiple trips.”

The payment process, one of the most time-consuming ones in the everyday restaurant business, gets significantly simplified and shortened. Service staff thus has more time for other tables and responding to guests. Overall, service becomes more personal and the guests’ experience more refined. This is also reflected in customer reactions: According to Hartmann, feedback on luca Pay is “usually very, very good.”

If you are interested in using luca Pay in your location, you can find more information here.