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Original Four

"J2 represents a big improvement on my old system."
Sam Larke, owner of Original Four

The Client

Original Four is Leicester’s premier late night music venue. An imposing four storey-building in the heart of the city’s thriving bar scene houses a groundfloor bar, two dedicated dance floors and a cocktail lounge.

Opened in 2002, Original Four has been a success from day one. Whilst owner Sam Larke concedes that the current economic climate is curbing his customers’ ability to spend and party as they once did, “it’s tough out there”, he is convinced that he has a good business that will ride out the storm.

The venue is open every night and attracts a wide spectrum of dance and music aficionados who support cult DJs and enjoy live performances from bands and artists of every musical persuasion. Three nights are dedicated to Leicester’s student population, which takes advantage of discounted entry and drinks to party hard. Original Four is also available for hire throughout the week and finds itself host to private and corporate parties.

“J2 represents a big improvement on my old system and I see no reason not to grow with J2 in the future. NTS and J2 make for a particularly good combination.”

Sam Larke, owner of Original Four

The Solution

The Challenge
Over the five-year lifetime of the company, Original Four has had three EPoS systems. Its initial investment was a costly one based on old till technology. A second vendor subsequently came on the scene but support was poor.

Things started to turn around when Marc Newton of Newt Touch Solutions (NTS) took over both the hardware and software support, as well as providing training and a 24-hour help desk.

At that time, NTS introduced a new hardware regime from J2 Retail Systems. “J2’s 3-year parts & labour warranty in conjunction with NTS won them the business,” explains Marc.

In recent months, things have progressed yet further. Original Four and its nearby sister bar, Sophbecksessions, have started a phased upgrade programme based upon J2’s latest touchscreen till, the 560.

The Benefits
* Casual and part-time staff easily retain a sense of system familiarity

* The tills support fast transaction processing, which is a must to keep queues down at the busiest times

* The ability to mix screen resolutions, whilst keeping the same number of product buttons, has been a bonus

* J2’s & NTS’ 3-year hardware warranty gives Original Four a sense of confidence

* System support from Newt Touch Solutions and trouble-free operation from the J2 units have restored Sam Larke’s faith in EPoS.

The Process

Of the eight tills installed, four are now J2 560s. NTS have made sure that the ICRTouch software brings out the best in the J2 560s and provides a rich raft of functionality. “Stock control, cash control and all my price control: I have everything I need to run the business.”

As for the hardware, Sam Larke is pleased with the look and feel of the J2 560s, and describes them as “nice-looking units”. He has opted for 15” screens as standard as the larger screen size accommodates buttons for more product choices.

An added plus is the ability to mix screen resolutions. Thanks to some programming work undertaken by software developers ICRTouch and NTS, Original Four can keep to a consistent screen format with the same number of buttons, even on smaller screens.

The Results

“The J2 units are very good and we’ve had no problems at all,” says Sam Larke.

The reaction of Original Four’s bar staff is equally positive. Everyone finds the system easy to use, including casual and part-time staff who need to be quickly trained and retain a sense of system familiarity when they come on duty.

Busy nights at Original Four are extremely demanding so the tills have to perform faultlessly under pressure. “We need to be able to use the tills quickly and easily to keep queues down.”

At last, Original Four has an EPoS solution that works well. “I’m pleased to be a part of it,” concludes Sam Larke. “J2 represents a big improvement on my old system and I see no reason not to grow with J2 in the future. NTS and J2 make for a particularly good combination.”

About J2 Retail Systems

J2 Retail Systems is a specialist manufacturer of PC-based touchscreens, LCD touchscreen monitors and point-of-sale hardware to the retail, hospitality and leisure industries. With 50,000+ units installed worldwide, its clients include Vue Entertainment, Greggs, Thresher Group, and scores of bars and restaurants.

By controlling its own design and manufacture, J2 has built a reputation for innovation, reliability and cost-effectiveness. Credited with introducing ‘thin client’ EPoS to the market, J2 uses emergent technologies wherever possible to reduce the cost of hardware ownership.

About Newt Touch Solutions (NTS)

NTS prides itself on going ‘that extra mile’ to provide powerful, one-stop solutions using quality touchscreen and hand-held technologies. It builds, customises and supports systems for hospitality and retail businesses, and is dedicated to exceptional customer service.

The company is hardware-independent, so can offer clients competitive pricing without sacrificing product and service standards. NTS also offers both market-leading EPoS software brands and its in-house developed solution, which now boasts 15,000 UK and European installations.

J2 560

The J2 560 represents a quantum leap. With the technology in the ‘head’ of the touchscreen and a VESA mount provided as standard, users can operate the 560 as stand-, pole- or wall-mounted. This frees up space, allows the screen to be easily moved and seen by customers and operators.

Based on notebook technology, the 560 is fanless, with or without disk drive. As a thin client machine, it has no moving parts and delivers exceptional reliability. J2’s trademark 3-year ‘return to bench’ warranty is included.

Users can customise the 560 by selecting wired or wireless, thin or thick client, stand-alone or networked operation, optional swipe for payment cards, operator ID checking via card swipe or biometric fingerprint recognition and resistive or infra-red touchscreens.

Sector: Leisure