Company plans to help fund 10 new venue openings in Scotland
A hospitality fintech is expected to invest more than £10m in Scottish bars and restaurants after launching in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Shuffle, which combines a consumer rewards app with funding for independent hospitality businesses, has expanded north of the border following growth in Manchester and Liverpool.
The company believes its investment into Scottish venues could pass £10m as it builds its presence in the two cities, with plans already underway to help fund 10 new openings. More than 55 Scottish restaurants, bars and cafés have joined the platform, including Ralph & Finns, Glaschu and Vroni’s in Glasgow and Monteith’s, The Black Grape and Bodega in Edinburgh.
Co-founders Ollie Purdue and Enzo Ottens launched Shuffle in Manchester in 2024 before expanding to Liverpool and Scotland, with London and Newcastle next on the company’s rollout plan. Purdue, whose background is in early-stage investment, said the business was created to tackle one of the biggest problems facing ambitious independent hospitality operators: access to capital.
He said: “Like early-stage start-up companies, hospitality owners have loads of drive and their own unique talents – you have to be excellent to succeed. That made me think: why isn’t anyone supporting them? Margins are thinner in hospitality, so operators need multiple ways to make money. Shuffle can help by driving more sales, making existing sites busier and funding new ones.”
Shuffle links to a customer’s bank card and automatically rewards spending at partner venues with random cashback, averaging around 20 per cent and sometimes covering the full bill. Its model also provides funding to hospitality operators looking to expand.
Ottens, who previously worked for banking app Loot and Uber Eats, said: “We want to help independent hospitality businesses grow and support the high street. There are some really bright spots and amazing things happening in the Scottish hospitality scene. The brands we work with have opportunities to scale and it’s very fulfilling to help people build businesses around something they’re passionate about.”
Credit: Shuffle
Purdue said: “Glasgow is buzzing and fiercely independent, and people really care about restaurant owners. Shuffle did really well in Manchester and we think they are similar cities in some ways. Edinburgh has a different food scene, but it’s also very exciting. We want to focus on growing both cities and there’s plenty of room to expand.”
The expansion comes against a difficult backdrop for Scotland’s hospitality sector, with businesses continuing to face pressure from higher wages, energy and food costs, business rates and constrained consumer spending. Scottish Licensed Trade Association research found 73 per cent of outlets reported lower profitability year-on-year, while 14 per cent were considering closing.
Purdue said: “The best businesses in hospitality are still making money and people will always want to go out, so there are lots of reasons to be positive. But it is a tough environment. The tax burden is huge and margins are getting squeezed. In Scotland, restaurant owners want to expand, grow and try new things. They’ve got ideas, but the banks often aren’t lending or owners have to put their house on the line. We’re able to take some of that pressure away by funding them. We’ll do more cities next year, but we also want to focus on growing Glasgow and Edinburgh.”
In Case You Missed It:
Scotland’s Fintech Sector Doubles in Size — and the Growth Opportunity Is Just Beginning
Scottish Enterprise backs £3.18m fintech lab projecting 6:1 return and £28m in private investment
Scotland’s Next Economy: From Shipbuilding and Coal to Fintech and Forestry
Centrica plans 1,300 job cuts with Glasgow and Edinburgh call centres in scope
The company said 80 per cent of people who visit venues using the Shuffle app are new diners, while users spend on average more than 40 per cent more. Shuffle costs £2.99 per month, with average savings of £30 per month per customer.
For more information please visit Shuffle’s website.
