Greene King rolls out new enhanced booking system

Greene King has rolled out a new a multi-million-pound digital upgrade to its customer-facing booking system.

The platform has been redesigned to show clearer messaging and live, real-time availability. It has been rolled out across 1,600 Greene King managed pubs from this month.

The pub operator and brewer says the investment reinforces the growing trend to pre-book pub visits, as Greene King reports it is taking an average of 35,000 booked sports covers per month, which is enough to fill Wembley Stadium over four times each year. 

Analysis of bookings conversion rates showed the main reason that online bookings were abandoned was due to unavailability of tables at selected times and large party sizes. The latest system has clear messaging with ‘live’ availability when customers start the booking and has more information on group reservations.

It also allows customers to choose from a variety of menus to best suit the occasion they wish to celebrate and pick whether they wish to sit in the bar or restaurant, as well as showing availability to pre-order meals and review the associated costs.

Best in class

A further feature of the new system is the 'best-in-class' sports booking journey, so customers can now select which sport and which fixture they wish to book for. In addition to TV sports matches, customers can also book a slot to play pool, darts or shuffleboard at their chosen pub with these facilities.

"This is a significant step in the evolution of our booking system and has been designed with customers at the forefront," says Greene King’s chief operations officer Clair Preston-Beer. "There is greater transparency, clearer tabs and it’s easier to use, helping to avoid any unnecessary disappointment. You can pick when and where you want drinks, dining and drinks, or sport. We know there is little more frustrating than seeing an error message pop up when you are trying to book something online and that’s what we’re tackling so we can elevate the customer booking experience."

The improvements to Greene King’s booking system are part of the company’s multi-million-pound digital investment in 2025, which includes the evolution of the customer app and the introduction of loyalty rewards. 

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