Globally humankind is experiencing a crisis because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Business has been slow for a lot of industries, particularly hospitality and F&B. More than ever before, it is essential that businesses invest in smarter products and solutions that not only help organise data but also help streamline processes in the recovery scenario.

Finnant Design has created Fountain, a smart alco-beverage dispenser that functions contactless and allows tracking and recording real time flow data, which essentially helps hotels and pubs to manage their distribution.

Shrikant Gothe, founder of Finnant, says the innovation will enable restaurants, pubs and bars to become clear about the actual flow of liquid and serve their customers a complete safe environment.

“Metered consumption is essential for a customer as s/he gets value for his/her buck. The customer receives an actual 30ml or large 60ml and not 25ml or 55ml, which in turn results in better customer retention”.

Digital experience

According to Jaytheerta, a dispenser expert with over a dozen global dispenser patents, the entire F&B industry has been running on an analogue system, which brings in a lot of loopholes – from incorrect pouring, wastage, pilferage, and even theft. Finnant’s Fountain is just a small step to digitise the entire bartending experience.

But Fountain is not just a dispenser that will sit in one corner of a room, says Prashant, founding member at Finnant. “We did not want a dumb surface to face the audience; so we created Fountain-G (glass), which has an in-built illumination system which can morph into any colour the bar is sporting,” he says.

But Finnant did not stop there. In the liquor business in India alcohol companies can hold active promotions only at wine shops and pubs/bars. “We went ahead and built Fountain-S (screen), which has a 40-inch screen built into it. This allows companies to advertise their products right on the counter, where there is maximum service traffic.”

This could turn out to be another revenue model for pub/bar owners as they get to decide what to showcase on the screen and for how long – perhaps even showcase their ‘Happy Hour’ promotions or live offers.

The biggest value proposition for 5-star hotels is customer satisfaction and retention. A good chain of hotels has digital customer management systems which help them cater to their regular customers, preparing the rooms and services even before the request is made by the customer.

Somehow these relationships are professionally managed at room booking but lack the experience when it comes to their bars and in-house restaurants.

Know your customer

“In our Phase-2 of products we are building ‘Finnant Advantage’, a complete digital solution right from inventory management, knowing your customer to point-of-sale integration. We are looking at an entire technology-based ecosystem for hotels and pubs,” Prashant says.

“We are also in touch with corporates like Diageo and Paul John to find means to help bars and restaurants in their revival in the post-pandemic scenario,” he adds.

Finnant has acquired licenses and approvals from the Department of Metrology for product quality and accuracy. Fountain also came in a runner up at the 2017 design awards in Italy (F&B category).

Moving ahead Finnant has forayed into accurate, IoT-based dispensers for the beer and wine sectors. It is also spreading its wings to non-alcoholic products – among them are ‘smart’ fresh tea brewers, coffee dispensers and fully automated hand sanitizer dispensers.

The Bengaluru-based Finnant Designs is looking for investments to help scale up its business for various smart dispensing solutions. “It would be great if investors came forward and had a look at our offerings and vision – even more so now, because we believe contactless dispensing will be the future of retail,” says Shrikant. (www.finnant.com).