Tell us about Lightspeed
Lightspeed is a one-stop commerce platform that helps merchants simplify, scale and provide exceptional customer experiences. With teams across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, Lightspeed serves retail, hospitality and golf businesses in over 100 countries. In the UK, we’re trusted by the likes of the Big Mamma Group, Poke House, and Mamma Dough.
How did you come up with the idea for the company?
Lightspeed was launched in 2005 and turned 20 this year. What began as a four person team in a cramped Montréal office has evolved into a global company with around 3,000 Lightspeeders.
The idea was simple: give independent businesses the same cutting-edge checkout technology as the big guys. It began when I got my first Mac at 12 years old and I started coding. Seeing how people live, shop and dine evolve, I saw a need for a cloud-based business platform that let owners focus on customers, not admin.
We started in retail and later expanded into hospitality, bringing our philosophy of giving owners control and managing the back office seamlessly. Today, Lightspeed is more than a point-of-sale tool, it’s also a platform with embedded payments, loyalty systems and AI-driven insights that unify business operations.
What is your advice to aspiring entrepreneurs?
Being an entrepreneur is a dichotomy of emotions: rewarding, invigorating, but sometimes overwhelming. For aspiring entrepreneurs, here’s my advice:
You’re only one person: Many leaders feel like they must save the day, but sharing responsibility alleviates pressure. Constantly being in fight or flight can make strategic decision-making difficult. See yourself as a player in a larger drama – you might be the boss, but your role is to guide and support, not do it all.
Stay calm but realistic: Focus on the positive but learn from the negative. I keep a running list of my “grateful” and “lows” throughout the year and often realise that some of the tough moments spark growth. When the stakes are high, calm always beats panic.
Create a genuine culture: Success isn’t just about product, financials and sales leads. A strong culture where people feel valued and have real opportunities is essential to building a team that believes in your vision.
What most excites you about the hospitality industry and how Lightspeed can support it?
UK hospitality remains a major economic contributor, with Brits still dining out despite elevated costs. As more restaurants compete for attention, we help operators spend less time on admin and more with their customers.
With 88% of diners likely to recommend restaurants offering tailored experiences and 54% expecting this to matter more in the next five years, personalisation is key. Take Big Mamma Group, a customer for 10 years, that has scaled using Lightspeed by using data-driven insights to deliver unique experiences. Technology enables restaurants to stay competitive and offer personalised experiences through features like birthday rewards, tailored offers, and menu previews that keep guests coming back.
What can we hope to see from Lightspeed in the future?
With strong competition amongst restaurants in the UK, operators need every edge to stand out on food, service, and atmosphere.
To support them, we’ve launched Benchmarks & Trends in the UK – a powerful tool that lets owners track performance and compare it to local competitors. It’s the kind of innovation we aim to bring to more UK restaurants to help them make smarter decisions.
