A year of growth, innovation and expansion

With our FY23 closing in March, we've rounded up our top highlights from the past year and it has been a busy one!

Growth 

Over the last year, we've enjoyed strong performance financially. Our annual revenue increased by 27% against the previous year, reaching a new all-time high of $2.2M.

Here's how that breaks out by region:

✨ The United Kingdom has been a major driver of this impressive growth, with our revenue in the region soaring by over 125% compared to the previous year.
✨ Our New Zealand market experienced an impressive 18% growth despite our strong existing market share.
✨ Australia also saw a lift in sales by 47% across the same period.
✨ Irish markets reopened, and as a result, FY23 sales were 3x higher than in FY22.
✨ Bali, Oceania's favourite holiday destination, saw a similar lift of 63%.
✨ And finally our youngest market, Canada, saw sales rise by 28% in FY23 against FY22.

New Product Launches

First Table App 📱

In April 2022, we soft-launched the First Table app in Ireland, which was followed by New Zealand in May. The app was then introduced to the rest of the world in November, resulting in a consistent uplift in customer value. The app provides an easy and convenient way for diners to book tables at their favorite restaurants.

By the time our capital round closes, the app will have been downloaded over 100,000 times, and is still growing at a rate of just under 10,000 downloads per month.

Today, over 20% of our bookings come via the app, despite only being installed by 12.5% of our total user base.

Frequent Foodies®: launched 1 February 2023

Frequent Foodies® is our restaurant loyalty program that rewards diners for making First Table and Regular Table bookings, referring friends and writing reviews on the First Table platform. Each time a diner completes an action on the platform, they earn Status Points that accumulate and move them into different status levels. 

Each status level has its own exclusive perks and benefits such as early access to First Tables, discounts on gift vouchers and more. We have welcomed over 25,000 diners in New Zealand to Silver status already!

Frequent Foodies® is a key driver for Regular Table, as users are awarded with five times as many Status Points for making Regular Table bookings vs. First Table bookings. 

Regular Table: Soft launched 15 February 2023 🛠️

Regular Table is a new product offered on the First Table platform in New Zealand, designed to make it easier for diners to find and book tables at restaurants without having to make a phone call or search through multiple websites. After a successful trial in FY23, we're delighted that Regular Table is now being rolled out across the country.

Regular Table seamlessly integrates into all major reservation systems, using First Table’s proprietary unified API. This allows the platform to aggregate and display table availability across a wide range of restaurants.

With Regular Table, diners can browse through a list of participating restaurants on the First Table platform and book a table at any time without the First Table offer. The product allows users to book tables up to 90 days in advance, making it easier to plan ahead for special occasions or large group gatherings.

First Table Ambassador Programme 🥇

We have always been an attractive talking point for influencers, bloggers, media outlets and other online personalities and have always had a simple referral infrastructure in place. Recently however, an entirely new programme was developed to help creators monetise their brand and to drive diner acquisition at scale.

This led to our Ambassador Programme, which at the time of writing, gives First Table access to over 500,000 foodies outside of our subscriber base through influencer content and shout-outs. The programme has been a rapid success despite only recently being launched, and is a leading growth channel for us in FY24 due to its efficiency and scalability.

Staff additions 🙋‍♀️ 🙋‍♂️

There have been a number of additions to the First Table team in the past financial year.

Robyn Columbus joined the marketing team in a brand and marketing role.

Jarryd Walker was placed through an internship and offered an apprenticeship, leading to his current position as a junior app developer. Additionally, Bryan Malaluan, a senior app developer, has returned to the team after a three-month sabbatical.

Raven Ward has also returned to First Table as territory manager, and is currently based in Vancouver where he has been delivering exceptional results in both Vancouver and Victoria.

Lastly, Jordan Davis has joined the team as the business development manager for Wellington, supporting Chris Bradley, the New Zealand business development manager.

City launches 🚀

Due to the focus on product development this year, new city launches or re-launches have not been a priority. We did however launch First Table in the Timaru District and re-launched in Bath (U.K.) which has been on hold since Covid-19.

Capital Raise

And last but not least, we have invited Kiwi investors to come on the First Table journey with us by opening for investment via Snowball Effect, and are seeking $1.5 - $4M of capital from a mix of wholesale and retail investors. 

We will also welcome former Air New Zealand Director Paul Bingham into the role of Chair once the capital raise is complete, and I am delighted to have someone of Paul's calibre and experience leading the board.

Thanks for your support, and happy dining!