Insights
We write the things we wish someone had told us.
Twenty years of running venues, then building the system we could not buy. Operator points of view, customer stories, and product news from the team.
Team5 May 2026
A Techie and a GM Walk Into a Bar…
Robbie Francis and Aaron Resch on how Hops was shaped from both sides of hospitality: building systems, and running service.
Read the story→AllOperator POVCase studyCustomer storyProduct news
58 articles
Customer story19 Aug 2026What properly supported onboarding looked like at La CageHow Hops and La Cage built 109 menu recipes, checked the missing detail and handed the completed setup to the kitchen before opening.
Operator POV13 Aug 2026Three questions operators should be able to answer before closeWhy yesterday's GP, short deliveries and unexplained variances should be answerable while the people and evidence are still available.
Operator POV31 Jul 2026Five procurement failures that leak margin before the stock takeAuthorisation, ordering context, supplier knowledge, product structure and delivery checks all affect margin before an invoice reaches finance.
Product news29 Jul 2026Hops and Tenzo connect operational cost with performanceThe Hops and Tenzo integration brings purchasing, stock and finance data together with sales, labour and guest feedback.
Operator POV24 Jul 2026Configurable hospitality software should fit the operationWhy implementing new technology should not require every hospitality business to adopt the same finance, purchasing and operational workflow.
Operator POV1 Jul 2026End-of-day reporting works best while the day is still explainableDaily reporting preserves the context behind takings, deposits and variances before the next shift makes yesterday harder to reconstruct.
Product news25 Jun 2026Millum procurement data can now connect with HopsThe Millum integration connects purchasing and inventory information for hospitality operators using the Nordic procurement platform.
Customer story16 Jun 2026Simmons Bars brings multi-site inventory into HopsSimmons Bars is using Hops to bring purchasing, inventory and operational visibility together across its London venues.
Operator POV9 Jun 2026Cashflow pressure is cumulative, so visibility has to be continuousWhat the Zempler Bank Feeling the Heat report and Aaron Resch's operational experience say about VAT, margin pressure and timely information.
Customer story28 May 2026Nightjar connects distinct venue workflows with HopsNightjar Shoreditch and Nightjar Carnaby can retain their venue workflows while purchasing, stock and finance remain aligned behind the scenes.
Operator POV27 May 2026Why a free case can distort stock value and profitA zero-price delivery line can make the latest price look simple while making stock valuation and gross profit less representative of the period.
Operator POV21 May 2026Your Chefs Aren't the Problem. Your Purchasing Process is.Your Chefs Aren't the Problem. Your Purchasing Process is.
Operator POV19 May 2026Hospitality Tech and AI: Better Outputs Start with Better Operational ContextThere’s a lot of AI noise in hospitality tech right now.
Operator POV15 May 2026Lets Talk Hops: Live Visibility Beats Month-End SurprisesYou find out you lost £12K last month. On the last Thursday of the month at 5pm.
Operator POV12 May 2026Founder POV: Production Items, Yield Drift, and Hidden Margin LossRobbie Francis explains why yield tracking on prepped items is one of the most overlooked margin controls in hospitality operations.
Customer story11 May 2026180 the Strand, Now on Hops180 the Strand selected Hops to support a complex multi-venue operation with distinct concepts, workflows, and shared back-of-house requirements.
Product news7 May 2026Hops Academy and the Live Group Chat for OperatorsHops Academy combines practical learning with a live operator chat, giving teams real-time support from both Hops and the wider community.
Operator POV5 May 2026Founder POV: Same Dish, Same Price, Different GPWhy two sites can sell the same dish at the same menu price and still land completely different GP.
Operator POV30 Apr 2026Founder POV: Count Stock in Your Team’s LanguageStock accuracy improves when teams count in operational units they understand, not supplier units they have to convert.
Operator POV27 Apr 2026Leeds Late-Night Sector: Operator Insight from the GroundHospitality products cannot be built at a distance. This field visit in Leeds fed real late-night operator insight back into Hops product development.
Operator POV23 Apr 2026Founder POV: Actual GP First, Then Theoretical GPThe gap between actual and theoretical GP is where money leaks become visible, but only after actual GP is trustworthy.
Operator POV23 Apr 202611:47pm: Cash-Up Chaos Is a Systems ProblemWhen cash-up runs on checklists and spreadsheets, mistakes become routine. Hops Finance captures context in real time and reduces morning firefighting.
Case study22 Apr 2026Arcade Case Study: Configurable Workflows in Real ServiceArcade needed software that matched real service workflows. Hops was configured around their operation, not the other way round.
Operator POV21 Apr 2026Founder POV: Clean Actual GP Before Anything ElseBefore recipes and deep variance analysis, operators need one thing first: a clean actual GP built on disciplined SOP execution.
Operator POV16 Apr 2026Founder POV: Why Blended GP Hides Margin LeaksA single blended GP percentage hides accountability. Department-level margin visibility is where actionable control begins.
Operator POV15 Apr 2026Credit Notes Should Set Off Alarm BellsCredit notes are often identified but never recovered. Hops closes that gap with structured recovery paths and auditable workflows.
Case study14 Apr 2026Built for Operators: Mildreds on Why Hops Fits HospitalityMildreds shares why Hops works for real hospitality operations: configurable workflows across inventory and finance that adapt to the business, not the other way round.
Operator POV9 Apr 2026What Is Hops? Hospitality Operations, Simplified.Hops connects purchasing, stock, invoices, and finance into one clear picture, so operators can spot margin issues earlier and act faster.
Operator POV2 Apr 2026Founder POV: Here's what I've learned working 20 years with some of the UK's best Hospitality Operators.Here's what I've learned working 20 years with some of the UK's best Hospitality Operators.
Operator POV31 Mar 2026Founder POV: Where Margin Leaks in Hospitality OperationsA practical field guide to the operational layers where hospitality margin is either protected or lost.
Operator POV26 Mar 2026Founder POV: At Hops®, we sat in a room and thought about every scenario an operation might face in the context of an authorisation.At Hops®, we sat in a room and thought about every scenario an operation might face in the context of an authorisation.
Operator POV19 Mar 2026Founder POV: Let’s be honest: suppliers don’t always get it right.Let’s be honest: suppliers don’t always get it right.
Operator POV17 Mar 2026Founder POV: Our orders have arrived, we’ve confirmed the right quantity turned up.Our orders have arrived, we’ve confirmed the right quantity turned up.
Operator POV12 Mar 2026Founder POV: We’ve already talked about contextual ordering, the first opportunity to protect margin: making sure you don’t order the wrong stuff in the first place!!!We’ve already talked about contextual ordering, the first opportunity to protect margin: making sure you don’t order the wrong stuff in the first place!!!
Operator POV10 Mar 2026Founder POV: Are you structuring your orders around your suppliers, or your operation?Are you structuring your orders around your suppliers, or your operation?
Operator POV5 Mar 2026Founder POV: Ordering in hospitality is widely perceived as a chore: you order the veg, raise the PO, tick, tick boom.Ordering in hospitality is widely perceived as a chore: you order the veg, raise the PO, tick, tick boom.
Operator POV3 Mar 2026Founder POV: Some hospitality operators use systems that plug “supplier products” straight into recipes.Some hospitality operators use systems that plug “supplier products” straight into recipes.
Operator POV26 Feb 2026Founder POV: If your stock take is a nightmare.....if you buy it in pallets, use it in grams but have to count it in bottles…this post is for you!!!!!!!!!If your stock take is a nightmare.....if you buy it in pallets, use it in grams but have to count it in bottles…this post is for you!!!!!!!!!
Operator POV11 Feb 2026Founder POV: Managing suppliers is a mess: there’s no “one-stop-shop” in hospitalityManaging suppliers is a mess: there’s no “one-stop-shop” in hospitality
You order a few items from one supplier, a few from another, etc etc
And whilst you can’t control HOW you 
Operator POV5 Feb 2026Founder POV: Most hospitality tech in the market tries to “eliminate the chaos”.Most hospitality tech in the market tries to “eliminate the chaos”.
Operator POV16 Jan 2026Founder POV: The final instalment in our series: Why the f*** are chefs still using spreadsheets!?The final instalment in our series: Why the f*** are chefs still using spreadsheets!?
Operator POV15 Jan 2026Founder POV: Spreadsheets FEEL comfortable, familiar and cheap………but for many chefs, they’re actually NOT the ideal solution.Spreadsheets FEEL comfortable, familiar and cheap………but for many chefs, they’re actually NOT the ideal solution.
Operator POV13 Jan 2026Founder POV: For chefs still using spreadsheets familiarity is the tip of the iceberg:For chefs still using spreadsheets familiarity is the tip of the iceberg:
It’s also the perceived low cost (perceived being the key word there 😂)
- You pay someone to build the s
Operator POV12 Jan 2026Founder POV: Yo people!Yo people!
Operator POV6 Jan 2026Founder POV: “It works for now” is costing you more than you think.“It works for now” is costing you more than you think.
Operator POV2 Jan 2026Founder POV: One of the things I’m most proud of about Hops is the team we’ve built.One of the things I’m most proud of about Hops is the team we’ve built.
Operator POV11 Dec 2025Founder POV: “I’m not a techy, I don’t think I’ll “get” your app.“I’m not a techy, I don’t think I’ll “get” your app.
Operator POV2 Dec 2025Founder POV: I don't know about you, but I hate it when I see AI for AI’s sake.I don't know about you, but I hate it when I see AI for AI’s sake.
Operator POV26 Nov 2025Founder POV: The vision for Hops Academy is to become an industry-recognised credential.The vision for Hops Academy is to become an industry-recognised credential.
Operator POV18 Nov 2025Founder POV: Most hospitality tech is built from a single lens for a single vertical.Most hospitality tech is built from a single lens for a single vertical.
Operator POV7 Nov 2025Founder POV: Hops® endured a few iterations before it became what it is today......Hops® endured a few iterations before it became what it is today......
Operator POV5 Nov 2025Founder POV: The "what" adds value to your business.The "what" adds value to your business.
Operator POV11 Sep 2025Founder POV: On Tuesday, I got off a call with the Ops Director of a large hotel chain that we provide technology for (You know who you are 😉).On Tuesday, I got off a call with the Ops Director of a large hotel chain that we provide technology for (You know who you are 😉).
Case study15 Aug 2025Hops Inventory: Control, Clarity, and Real-Time InsightHops Inventory gives operators tighter control over sourcing, margins, and performance, trusted by teams like SushiDog, Yakinori, and Boundary Shoreditch.
Operator POV30 Jul 2025Founder POV: Good Tech Still Fails with Poor ImplementationRobbie Francis breaks down why even good hospitality tech underperforms without proper implementation, ownership, and ongoing operational discipline.
Customer story1 Jul 2025Providing the Right Tools for Your OperationsBuilt by ex-operators, Hops helps hospitality groups like Granger & Co. and Mildreds run smoother operations with simple, practical tools.
Product news12 Jun 2025A Fresh Chapter: Introducing Hops to Our CustomersOpsimize has rebranded to Hops. In this customer update, Robbie Francis and Aaron Resch share why now, what changes, and what stays the same.
Product news1 Jun 2025Opsimize Rebrands as Hops — The Home of Hospitality OperationsOpsimize has officially become Hops, introducing a new brand identity, improved UX, and a modular platform built for hospitality teams.Hops Academy
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