Hospitality technology: Lolly CEO Peter Moore

Peter Moore is CEO of Lolly, the Braintree-based hospitality software house whose EPoS, payments, self-service kiosks, robot waiters and FacePay facial-recognition payments are used by clients the company lists as including Sky, Vodafone and the BBC.

Next week Lolly takes SnapServe Pro, an AI-powered tray-scanning checkout now in live customer trials, to the Hospitality Tech Expo at ExCeL London on 29 and 30 September, where Moore gives a keynote on keeping control of AI on Wednesday 30 September. The launch follows Lolly Central, an AI-enabled customer hub released in July as the first of the company’s Lolly Innovation Series. He tells Business Matters why people still matter more than the technology, and why every founder has to be able to say what problem they are solving.

What do you currently do at Lolly?

I am the CEO. Lolly is a UK-based hospitality software house delivering PoS, payments, mobile ordering, kiosks, robotics and smart data solutions.

My approach is shaped by generational behaviour and future-proofing technology for both staff and customers. Looking ahead, my focus is on controlled AI, sustainability and international expansion.

What was the inspiration behind your business?

Lolly has evolved from a payments and EPoS provider into a fully integrated hospitality technology ecosystem, delivering AI-powered kiosks, robotics, facial-recognition payments and smart data systems that enhance both operational efficiency and the guest experience.

What are you taking to the Hospitality Tech Expo?

We are demonstrating SnapServe Pro, our AI-powered tray-scanning checkout, on Booth HT204. It uses a three-camera system to recognise the items on a tray and build the customer’s basket without each product having to be scanned, and it is already in live customer trials ahead of a wider rollout.

Hospitality is changing. Guest expectations are rising and teams are under pressure. Technology needs to respond to those very real operational challenges, and that is what we mean by practical innovation. On the second day I am presenting “AI Is Already Running Your Operation: The Question Is Whether You’re in Control” in Keynote Theatre 4.

Who do you admire?

I admire many business leaders and entrepreneurs, but if I think back to my early days in business, Richard Branson was probably one of the people who stood out most to me.

I was fascinated by the way he built Virgin from one business into such a recognised global brand. He was not afraid to challenge established businesses or enter markets where there were already very large, successful competitors. There was a confidence and entrepreneurial spirit behind what he did that I found inspiring.

Building a business inevitably involves taking risks, making difficult decisions and occasionally going against conventional thinking. You have to believe in what you are trying to achieve, while surrounding yourself with good people who can help you get there. But there also is not one blueprint for being a successful entrepreneur or leader.

Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?

No, I genuinely do not think I would.

I am a big believer in not looking backwards and wondering what might have happened if you had made a different decision. Of course, there are things that have not gone to plan over the years and decisions that, with hindsight, I might have approached differently. But those experiences are part of the journey.

I have been very lucky in my life. I have met some great people along the way and had opportunities and experiences that have shaped both the person and the business leader I am today. For me, it is much more important to ask, “What can I learn from this and what do I do next?” than to spend too much time looking over your shoulder.

What defines your way of doing business?

People.

I have always believed that a business is ultimately about the people you employ. You can have a brilliant idea, a great strategy and fantastic technology, but you still need good people to make everything work.

For me, leadership is about recognising people’s strengths and giving them the opportunity to use those strengths, while supporting them in the areas where they may need help. Not everyone is brilliant at everything, nor should we expect them to be. The important thing is building a team where different skills and personalities complement one another and where people feel they can contribute.

Today, that means combining great people with the best IT and technology available and using both to deliver exceptional service. Technology can make businesses faster, smarter and more efficient, but it is the people behind it who ultimately create the experience customers remember.

What advice would you give to someone starting out?

My first piece of advice is very simple: what problem are you trying to solve?

I have done many pitches to angels and investors over the years, and that is one of the questions that comes up time and again. It sounds incredibly straightforward, but it can actually be a very difficult question to answer well.

You need to be absolutely clear about why your business needs to exist. What is the problem? Who has that problem? And why is what you are offering a better way of solving it? If you can answer those questions properly from the outset, you give yourself a much stronger foundation on which to build a successful business.

My other advice would simply be: never give up. There will be hurdles throughout your journey. There will be times when things do not happen as quickly as you had hoped, deals fall through, people say no or circumstances completely outside your control change your plans.

Successful entrepreneurs are not necessarily the people who never encounter problems; they are often the people who keep finding ways around them. You need resilience, determination and the ability to pick yourself up, learn from what has happened and keep moving forward.