Pub Tech Stack: What to Keep In-House When Platforms Are Fickle

When platforms fail, your pub shouldn't

Hook: You’ve seen it — a social app goes dark, a third‑party booking widget disappears, or a VR product your venue tested vanishes overnight. For pubs that rely on guests finding opening hours, menus and booking links online, platform outages are more than an inconvenience: they're revenue lost and nights cancelled. In 2026, platform risk is a core business risk. This guide maps exactly which digital assets your pub must own and which to treat as channels, plus step‑by‑step actions to build real digital resilience and business continuity.

The landscape in 2026: platform volatility isn’t hypothetical

Early 2026 brought high‑profile examples of platform churn and outages. Major social services experienced large outages in January, and large tech firms continue to sunset niche products—Meta announced the Workrooms app shutdown in February 2026, and newer networks like Bluesky have been rapidly iterating their feature set as downloads spike. Those moves highlight two truths for pubs:

• Platforms rise and fall fast — features and audiences can move overnight.
• Outages and product shutdowns directly interrupt bookings, communication and discoverability.

Why this matters to pubs now

When a platform is unstable, your listing, events and reservations can become unreachable — and platforms rarely compensate for lost footfall. The solution is to own the critical infrastructure that keeps your doors open: the website, the email list and the reservation data. Treat social apps and discovery platforms as channels, not the foundation of your business.

What to keep in‑house (must‑own digital assets)

Own the systems that hold customer relationships, calendar and transactional data. Here are the essentials every pub should control.

1. Your website (domain + hosting + content)

Why own it: Your site is the canonical source for menus, hours, events and bookings. If social channels fail, your site is where guests come to confirm plans and convert.

• Register a domain you control (example: yourpub.co.uk). Use a reputable registrar and enable two‑factor authentication.
• Choose hosting with easy backups and export. Consider a managed host with daily snapshots and one‑click rollback.
• Publish machine‑readable data: schema.org/Restaurant JSON‑LD for menus, opening hours and reservations. Search engines and directories read it and it reduces friction.
• Create static fallbacks — a simple static HTML version of your site (or a GitHub Pages mirror) that can be served if dynamic systems fail.
• Keep your copy short and actionable: “Open tonight 5–11pm. Reserve at /book or call 0123 456 789.”

2. Email list (the most reliable direct channel)

Why own it: Email is permissioned, exportable and stays yours even if a social app shuts down. A well‑maintained email list drives bookings, events attendance and loyalty.

• Start with double opt‑in and segment for regulars, event attendees and newsletter readers.
• Use a provider that allows easy data export (CSV/JSON) and integrates with your CRM — examples: Mailchimp, Brevo, Klaviyo; or self‑hosted options like Mautic if you prefer full control. See our CRM selection guide for tradeoffs on exportability.
• Implement SPF/DKIM/DMARC for deliverability and trust.
• Plan a re‑engagement cadence: a weekly events email, a monthly food & beer update, plus VIP drops for high‑value customers.

3. Reservation system and booking data

Why own it: Your bookings are revenue. If a reservation platform changes policy or becomes inaccessible, you must still be able to confirm covers and manage waitlists.

• Prefer a system that supports regular exports and API access so you can copy reservation data to your CRM or calendar.
• Keep a local copy: a synced Google Sheet or a CRM table that stores name, contact, booking time and notes.
• Offer direct booking on your site via widget or native integration — but ensure fallback: a simple email/bookings@yourpub.co and a phone number that’s clearly visible.
• Consider deposit or pre‑auth to reduce no‑shows; make policies clear on your site and confirmation emails.

4. CRM (customer relationship & loyalty data)

Why own it: Knowing who your customers are (and being able to export their data) is the basis of loyalty programs and targeted offers.

• Choose a CRM that supports exports and integrations. Even a simple spreadsheet with regular backups can be your first CRM.
• Integrate POS and reservation data—this links spend to behavior and powers smarter offers. Consider portable checkout options covered in field reviews like compact payment stations & pocket readers for pop-up or overflow service.
• Protect data with GDPR/UK privacy best practices: clear consent, data retention policies and easy unsubscribe processes.

What to use as channels (don’t rely on them as foundations)

Social networks and marketplaces are powerful for reach but fragile for continuity. Treat them as promotional channels, not sources of truth.

Social networks, apps and marketplaces

Use them to amplify, but routinely pull the audience and data back to owned channels.

• Post to social networks, but link back to your site for menus and bookings.
• Run lead capture campaigns that direct followers to an owned landing page with an email signup or booking form.
• Export follower lists and ad audiences where possible and save campaign results in your CRM.
• Have an established cross‑post strategy: when one channel goes down, your message still reaches subscribers via email, SMS or your site’s web push.

Discovery platforms and directories (Google Business Profile, Yelp, pubs.club)

Keep listings up to date — they drive discovery — but maintain control from your website and verified email/phone.

• Claim and verify your Google Business Profile and keep funds/hours/menu synced with your site using structured data.
• Use directory listings as referral channels; don’t let them be the only place your contact info lives.
• Monitor reviews but store review summaries in your CRM for service follow‑up; don’t rely solely on platform notifications.

Concrete steps to reduce platform risk (30/60/90 day plans)

Here’s a prioritized action plan you can implement this month and scale over the next quarter.

30‑day checklist: quick wins

• Claim your domain and set up a basic site with hours, menu, contact and a clear booking CTA.
• Set up a double‑opt‑in email signup on the homepage and import existing contacts.
• Enable SPF/DKIM/DMARC for your pub’s email domain.
• Create a “reserve@yourpub.co” inbox that forwards to phone/SMS for manual bookings if tech fails.
• Document who owns logins and enable 2FA across all accounts (social, domain, booking vendor).

60‑day checklist: build resilience

• Integrate your reservation system with your CRM or export schedule. Automate a nightly backup (CSV) to cloud storage.
• Publish JSON‑LD schema for menu and opening hours to your site.
• Set up a basic status page (UptimeRobot or Statuspage) and email list for outage alerts.
• Implement web push notifications for your site and an SMS fallback using a provider like Twilio for immediate outreach.

90‑day checklist: long‑term continuity

• Establish a CRM with POS / reservation integration and export automation.
• Create a static mirror of your site (GitHub Pages or S3) and point your domain’s DNS low‑TTL fallback record if your primary host fails.
• Run a table‑top continuity exercise: simulate a social outage and test if customers can still find menus and book a table via email/SMS/website.
• Build a content library: downloadable PDFs for private hire, menu PDFs, and an events calendar you can email to subscribers.

Technical best practices to keep in mind

Small technical moves dramatically reduce platform risk.

• Low TTL DNS: Short DNS TTL for your site allows fast DNS updates in an outage. Keep DNS management with a stable registrar. See design patterns for resilient architectures.
• Backups & exports: Schedule automatic exports of reservation and CRM data. Test restores quarterly and consider offline power/backups planning alongside your data strategy — even small venues benefit from backup power guidance like in the Jackery HomePower writeups: backup power.
• API & webhooks: Where possible, use services with open APIs so you can move data between tools without manual reentry.
• Multi‑layer access: Don’t keep all logins with one person—use a password manager + role‑based access.
• Fallback UX: Your site should show a clear banner if a booking system is down and provide immediate alternatives (phone, email, walk‑ins).

Customer communication playbook during outages

When a platform goes down, your customers value clarity and alternatives. Use these scripts and channels.

• Email subject: “We’re still open — here’s how to book tonight” with direct booking link and phone.
• SMS: Short alert to VIP list: “Booking widget is down. Reply to this number to reserve.”
• Website banner: Prominent banner explaining the issue + direct booking call‑to‑action.
• Social post (when available): Reassurance post linking to the website and providing alternatives.

Real world example (experience & outcome)

Case: A 40‑seat community pub noticed a 3‑hour outage on a major social platform during New Year’s weekend in 2026. Their primary booking widget sat behind the site and the provider had an API issue.

They had a mirror static page and an email list. Within 20 minutes they sent an email and SMS to VIPs announcing manual booking via phone and a direct booking URL on the mirror site. They recovered 80% of the day’s expected covers and avoided a major revenue hit.

This shows the power of owning key assets and practicing the fallback plan.

Vendor selection checklist: questions to ask before you sign

• Can I export my customer and booking data at any time in machine‑readable format?
• Is there an API or webhook support? How often is data export possible?
• What are your uptime guarantees and outage history? Do you publish a status page?
• Who owns the data — you or the vendor? What happens on termination?
• Do you support integrations into my CRM and POS?

Future trends and predictions for pubs in 2026

Expect more rapid shifts in platform features and occasional network outages. Two trends to watch:

• Rise of niche local networks: Local discovery apps will emerge and fade faster; treat them as experimental channels unless they allow data portability.
• Privacy‑first customer data: Regulators and customers demand better data handling—owning your CRM and managing consent builds trust and reduces compliance risk.

Actionable takeaway checklist (do these this week)

1. Claim your domain and add hours/menu + a visible booking CTA.
2. Put a double opt‑in email form on your homepage and import existing contacts.
3. Export reservation data nightly and store encrypted backups.
4. Make a public fallback message on your homepage with phone/email booking instructions.
5. Document all account ownerships and enforce 2FA on admin accounts.

Final thought: platforms are channels, not anchors

Platforms will keep changing in 2026 and beyond. The pubs that thrive will be those that treat social networks and marketplaces as amplifiers, while owning the central pillars: a reliable website, an active email list and portable reservation/CRM data. Digital resilience is practical—small, consistent technical and process choices protect revenue and reputation when a platform behaves unpredictably.

Ready to make your pub resilient?

If you want help auditing your digital stack or claiming a verified listing on a trusted local directory, join our community at pubs.club. We’ll walk through a one‑page continuity plan you can implement in 30 days and connect you with tools that make ownership simple.

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