Pop Reso began during a visit to Penticton, British Columbia, when founder Greg went for a meal with his nephew and his nephew’s fiancée at a local independent restaurant they spoke highly of.
The food was good, the atmosphere was good, and it was the kind of place people would happily recommend. But there were empty seats throughout the dining room. Looking around, Greg asked his nephew a simple question: “Why is this place not packed?”
That question stayed with him. The venue was doing something worth knowing about, yet many people nearby might never know what was happening unless they already followed the restaurant, happened to see the right social media post, or actively went looking for it.
The experience connected with something Greg had seen throughout more than 30 years working in hospitality as a bartender, server, manager, and General Manager. Venues can have great food, talented teams, special features, events, live experiences, and empty seats at the same time. Sometimes the problem is not what a venue is offering. People simply do not know it is happening.
That became the idea behind Pop Reso: create a dedicated discovery experience where hospitality venues can show guests what is happening right now. Instead of competing for attention alongside everything else in a general social media feed, a venue can create a timely POP for something it wants guests to discover.
Greg brought the idea home to Winnipeg and began building Pop Reso around that concept. The platform is designed to complement the websites, social media, and other tools venues already use while providing a more concentrated way to reach people when they are deciding where to go.
Pop Reso is also built around the belief that hospitality is about more than a transaction. Going out means meeting people, experiencing a room, discovering something new, celebrating, catching up with friends, and sometimes becoming a regular. Technology should help create more of those opportunities rather than replace them.
The question that started in Penticton remains at the heart of Pop Reso: “Why is this place not packed?” Pop Reso exists to help more people discover what hospitality venues have happening and give them another reason to walk through the door.