What Zonal Retail Data Systems does

Zonal Retail Data Systems is a UK-headquartered hospitality technology provider founded in 1979 and headquartered in Edinburgh, operating as a subsidiary of the Volaris Group since 2022. The company sells an integrated technology ecosystem to over 16,000 UK hospitality venues spanning pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels, holiday parks, stadia, leisure, education, and quick-service restaurants. Its product portfolio centers on two EPoS platforms — Aztec Enterprise POS for multi-site operators and Akru POS for independents — and extends into handheld ordering, online ordering (click & collect, delivery, order & pay), self-service kiosks, reservations and table management, a hotel property management system, kitchen and menu management, inventory and purchase-to-pay, business analytics, integrated payments (Zonal Pay), and the Airship CRM and Toggle e-commerce/gift card platforms acquired in 2022. The technology is delivered as a connected ecosystem with 200+ third-party integrations enabling real-time data flow across front-of-house and back-of-house operations.

The business operates a mixed revenue model combining software subscriptions (quote-based for enterprise, monthly for independents), hardware sales, professional and consultancy services, data services, and all-in-one rental packages (POS Essentials, 3-in-1 Tech Suite) for the independent segment. Go-to-market is sales-led and vertical-segmented, with named enterprise account managers supported by a self-serve motion for independents via Akru. The company employs 800+ people across Edinburgh, Abingdon, and Stafford, with additional US corporate entities. Notable enterprise customers include Loungers, Greene King, Fuller's, PizzaExpress, Miller & Carter, Harvester, Hollywood Bowl, Butlins, LGH Hotels, Cafe Rouge, and Shorefield Holidays. Strategic activity has centered on tuck-in acquisitions (LiveRES 2015, High Level Software 2016, Airship 2022) and platform consolidation rather than venture-funded expansion, with Volaris providing capital and a global portfolio network of 1,500+ software companies.

Name

Zonal Retail Data Systems

Legal name

Zonal Retail Data Systems Limited

Website

https://zonal.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Zonal Retail Data Systems is a UK hospitality technology provider selling EPoS, reservations, kitchen management, payments, and CRM tools to over 16,000 UK venues across pubs, restaurants, hotels, and leisure, operating as a subsidiary of Volaris Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality Technology Software

akta.pro primary industry

Channel Managers & Distribution (THALACAC)

Keywords

• Hospitality point of sale
• EPoS systems
• Property management software
• Restaurant technology software
• Online ordering platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Software Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from EPoS systems, property management, and other software platforms. Pricing is quote-based for enterprise customers with rental packages available for smaller operators.
2. Hardware Sales: Sale of hardware including POS terminals, handheld ordering devices, and other physical equipment required to run the software systems.
3. Professional Services: Implementation, consultancy, and data services provided to enterprise customers during onboarding and ongoing operations.
4. Rental Packages: All-in-one rental packages offered to independent operators, including POS Essentials and 3-in-1 Tech Suite with flexible pricing that scales with the business.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Zonal provides an integrated hospitality technology ecosystem combining EPoS point-of-sale systems (Aztec Enterprise for multi-site operators and Akru for independents), online ordering, table reservations, property management for hotels, kitchen and inventory operations, and marketing tools including CRM, loyalty, and gift cards. The platform connects front- and back-of-house operations through 200+ integrations and is sold primarily to UK hospitality operators.

Product overview

Zonal offers a unified hospitality technology ecosystem consisting of two core POS platforms: Aztec Enterprise POS for large multi-site operators, and Akru POS for independent venues. The platform integrates front-of-house operations (EPoS, handheld ordering, self-service kiosks), digital ordering (online ordering, order & pay, click & collect, delivery), reservations and table management, hotel property management, back-of-house operations (kitchen management, menu management, stock and purchasing), and marketing tools (Airship CRM, Toggle gift cards, loyalty programmes, vouchers, digital signage). All products are designed to work together within a single connected ecosystem with over 200 integrations. The company operates on a platform-plus-modules architecture with both cloud-based and rental package options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aztec Enterprise POS: EPoS system built for complex, multi-site hospitality operations with centralized control and real-time visibility.
• Akru
• Airship CRM
• Toggle
• Zonal Pay

Products and services

• Aztec Enterprise POS Enterprise-grade EPoS built for complex, multi-site hospitality operations, delivering centralised control and real-time visibility across every site, backed by always-on support and 45 years of UK hospitality expertise.
• Akru POS for Independents Cloud-based hospitality POS for independent pub and restaurant operators, including POS, Kitchen Display and self-order Kiosk, with simple transparent pricing, no lock-ins and no multi-site licence fees.
• Online Ordering Systems Digital ordering solutions for hospitality venues covering order and pay, click and collect, and delivery management.
• Bookings and Table Management Real-time, multi-channel booking and reservation management system with a centralised diary for hospitality operators.
• Property Management System Integrated accommodation management system for hotels and pubs with rooms that connects directly with Zonal EPoS and guest data to reduce manual effort and increase revenue per room.
• Kitchen Management System Kitchen display and management solution coordinating back-of-house operations with front-of-house, providing head-office visibility and consistent execution across sites.
• Airship CRM Customer relationship management platform acquired in 2022 that helps hospitality operators understand guests and personalise experiences to build lasting loyalty.
• Toggle Ecommerce and Gift Cards Ecommerce platform and gift card system enabling hospitality operators to expand revenue channels and offer digital gifting solutions.
• POS Rental Packages All-in-one rental packages including POS Essentials for Independents and 3-in-1 Tech Suite with flexible monthly pricing that scales with the business.
• Consultancy Services Expert consultancy services supporting hospitality technology implementation and optimisation for enterprise operators.
• Data Services Data analytics and intelligence services for hospitality operators.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tighter cash control for pub operators
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AirshipcoreTechnology or Integration · 11 October 2022Zonal acquired Airship, including its CRM and Toggle platforms, in October 2022. The acquisition enhances product integration, improves customer revenue strategies, and expands market reach in the UK and US. The deal built on a successful long-term partnership and aims to further integrate products to benefit operators and consumers.
• Only A Pavement AwayminorOthersCharity partnership supporting people facing homelessness, prison leavers and veterans into hospitality employment. Zonal provides financial support and employees use charity days to volunteer.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Toast: US-listed cloud-native restaurant POS and management platform serving multi-site and independent operators. Comparable as a direct competitor in hospitality EPoS, ordering, and back-office software, with a more cloud-native architecture than Zonal's heritage Aztec stack.

Direct peers

• Lightspeed Restaurant: Cloud POS and commerce platform for restaurants, bars, and hotels with strong UK and European presence. Directly comparable to Zonal in target customer (multi-site hospitality), core functionality (EPoS, ordering, payments, analytics), and delivery mechanism.
• TouchBistro: iPad-based POS and restaurant management platform targeting independent and multi-location restaurants. Overlaps with Zonal's Akru offering for independents and competes for the same SMB hospitality customer segment.
• Access Hospitality: UK hospitality software provider (part of The Access Group) offering EPoS, bookings, stock, and workforce management to pubs, bars, hotels, and restaurants. Most direct UK-headquartered competitor to Zonal across enterprise and independent segments.
• Shiji Group: Global hospitality technology platform providing PMS, POS, ordering, and guest experience solutions to hotels and restaurants. Comparable to Zonal in integrated hospitality tech stack, with stronger APAC and global hotel footprint.
• Guestline: UK-based cloud hotel PMS and booking engine provider for independent hotels and groups. Closely comparable to Zonal's High Level Software / liveRES hotel PMS business and a direct competitor for UK accommodation technology deals.
• Fourth (HotSchedules/Fourth): Hospitality workforce, inventory, and purchasing platform serving multi-site restaurant and hotel operators in the UK and US. Comparable to Zonal's back-office (kitchen management, purchase-to-pay, mobile stocks, reporting) and competes for enterprise hospitality budgets.

Broad incumbents

• Oracle Food and Beverage (Micros): Enterprise hospitality POS and back-office suite from Oracle, serving global hotel and restaurant chains. Overlaps with Zonal's enterprise Aztec EPoS and hotel PMS at the top end of the market as part of Oracle's broader applications portfolio.
• Infor Hospitality: Enterprise hotel PMS and restaurant POS solutions embedded in Infor's broader industry cloud. Comparable to Zonal's hotel PMS and EPoS for large hotel groups, but operates as part of a much larger vertical software suite.
• Square (Block) Restaurants: Square's restaurant POS, online ordering, and payments suite from Block targets SMB hospitality operators. Comparable to Zonal's Akru and rental offerings in product scope and SMB customer focus, though embedded in Block's broader payments ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/zonaluk
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClv8R3V29vxSuk-ThRjInog
• Facebookfacebook.com/zonalretaildatasystems
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zonal-retail-data-systems

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zonal Retail Data Systems