Page 34 - RLI November 2019

THE pIcTURES ARE fROm uttshack is a ‘World’s First’ social entertainment
Raising
The Par
The UK’s leading indoor mini golf experience, Puttshack
is driving forward with its expansion strategy as it looks
to maintain its position as the market leader. Here, RLI
sits down with CEO Joe Vrankin to learn more about this
social entertainment concept and the technology behind it.
34 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL NOVEMBER 2019
holes. Starting with a blank piece of paper, the design team
pUTTSHAck wHITE cITy, LONdON, Uk
concept that uses patented ground-breaking have brought to life holes such as Beer Pong, Half Pipe,
technology to elevate the accepted limitations Duck Hunt and Evel Hole, all designed to allow consumers
P of mini golf into a cutting edge gaming to get the most out of their mini golf game.
phenomenon. With technology facilitating automatic point “We’ve taken the experience a step further by offering
scoring, leader-boards, and intuitive gameplay, Puttshack is an excellent bar with highly skilled staff who serve an
quite simply raising the bar with the most incredible mini array of drinks including cocktails, while our food menu
golf concept currently on the market. is extensive and we have an Executive Chef who ensures
The very first Puttshack opened in July last year at that food is freshly prepared and cooked to a really high
at intu Lakeside, Essex in September this year. This month consideration and the sites offer a wide range of delicious
Westfield London, White City and the second site launched
standard,” explains Vrankin.
The brand has taken recent food and drinks trends into
will see the opening of the third site in Bank, London whilst
there are plans in place to open in Watford as well.
vegan dishes, and its White City venue puts a strong focus
Following such a positive response to its first two
on rum, with a vast selection available along with a choice
of rum cocktails.
locations, which has seen some nearly 300,000 guests,
including household names Raheem Sterling and Brooklyn market-leading technology with a sense of fun and
“At Puttshack we are raising the bar by combining
Beckham among others playing 500,000 games, the team at
enjoyment to create a futuristic mini golf experience that
Puttshack are planning the next stage of expansion.
consumers haven’t seen before,” says Vrankin.
“We believe the strong consumer demand that we’ve
The demographic the brand attracts is very broad
seen at our venues to date will be replicated across the UK
and overseas,” explains Puttshack CEO Joe Vrankin. “We and it changes across the course of each day. The offer
have ambitious plans to grow the brand, taking the concept attracts families in the earlier part of the day and often
to cities around the UK and we are working towards a hosts children’s birthday parties, there is great appeal for
pipeline that could see two to three venues open per year the teenage market, while groups of adults are more likely
in the UK across the next five years. We are also looking to come for the evening and the venues have a real party
at taking the concept to the US market, with potential vibe for the later part of the day.
“All of this means that when consumers come into our
openings in cities including Atlanta, Boston and Chicago.” venues, they do not just play one round and leave, they stay
Puttshack venues have a proven track record for driving
footfall, which makes the concept highly appealing to for a long period of time, and they’re very likely to return,”
shopping centre locations where retailers benefit from new
concludes Vrankin.
customers coming into the area; however the company’s
growth will not be limited to these areas, as they will be
seeking large sites in high footfall areas.
“We are a well invested company, having secured an equity
raise of £30M in June this year with lead investor Promethean
Investment and we have an expert team who are highly
experienced in taking new ideas to market. We are looking
to grow Puttshack at a pace that allows us to maintain our
exceptionally high standards,” Vrankin comments.
Vrankin believes that competitive socialising is a rapidly
growing social trend that appeals to consumers’ increasing
appetite for experiences, and Puttshack is moving the tee
by combining market-leading technology with a sense of fun
and enjoyment to create a futuristic mini golf experience
that consumers haven’t seen before.
The new concept utilises Trackaball technology,
developed by the same people who came up with the
revolutionary Topgolf experience. In essence, what this
means is that each ball knows who it belongs to, how many
times it’s been hit, how far it has moved, how well each
person did on previous visits and of course, who is winning.
The venues themselves feature a bright and modern
design, interactive gameplay and standout individual golf
“At Puttshack we are
raising the bar by
combining market-leading
technology with a sense
of fun and enjoyment to
create a futuristic mini golf
experience that consumers
haven’t seen before”