Border businesses Nook and  lead the way on COVID-19 technology

By Jodie Bruton

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THE Border hospitality sector is embracing homegrown technology to navigate the coronavirus pandemic.

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About 20 Albury restaurants and cafes have adopted Nook, which uses QR code technology to direct patrons to an online landing page to record their contact information.

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Albury-based Nook co-creator Bella Chambers said she was inspired to develop the app after seeing venues struggling to manage the government's information and sanitisation standards.

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Ms Chambers said patrons' time and date of sign-in was instantly collated in a digital spreadsheet, which venue owners could access should it be needed by health authorities to track community transmission of COVID-19.

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She said the Crossroads Hotel coronavirus hotspot was a big wake-up call.

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"Signing-in can be a logistical nightmare for some businesses," she said.

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"The app allows businesses to reduce touch-points as patrons do not need to share pens or sheets of paper."

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2640 Restaurant and Bar owner Joel Carey said the system had streamlined the sign-in process for his Albury eatery this week.

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"It's very simple to use and avoids storing all of those pieces of paper," he said.

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"It stores the data for 28 days and only we can access that should we need to."

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Ms Chambers said Nook would soon offer a function to allow patrons to view menus on their mobiles.

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"It's reducing touch-points again and is even better than sanitising laminated menus and more sustainable than printing out new paper menus," Ms Chambers said.

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"You still order with a member of staff because we didn't want the technology to take away that connection."

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Wodonga-based Marshane Media has developed a digital sign-in register and hand sanitiser station.

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Cafe Borellas, which was praised for its COVID-Safe practices this week, and Tucker on Townsend have already installed the units.

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Marshane Media owner and director Matthew Lyon said the technology was developed over three months.

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"It will benefit more than just the hospitality sector," he said.

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"It would benefit gyms, display homes; anywhere where someone is visiting for a length of time."

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Read the original article here: https://www.bordermail.com.au/story/6837975/nook-app-and-a-register-sanitiser-station-a-sign-of-the-times-amid-covid-19/