Every bar aims to create a difference so The White House in South London (www.thewhitehouselondon.co.uk) was delighted to be crowned “Most Exceptional Bar” by the London Bar Guide 2004. It also made The Independent’s “Elite List”.

What makes The White House so exceptional? Opened in March 2001, the night spot immediately made waves with its modern design, style and ambiance. According to Esquire magazine, the venue is “perfect for some sophisticated decadence south of the river.”

With so many young trendies pouring in for the cocktails, food and music, last year Operations Manager Chris Mabire decided that his old EPOS system was outdated. “We wanted better front of house and back of house functionality,” he says. “We also needed a better range of reports – and the ability to customise our reports. And most of all, we needed more reliable support.”

By choosing Aloha, the advanced EPOS system from NFS Hospitality, Chris also got integrated authorisation of credit card transactions as well as speed, accuracy and 24/7 helpline support. NFS is an Aloha Business Partner.

Aloha was installed in January and already Chris reports a lot of time is being saved, especially back office reporting time. In the front office, he notes, “It’s much quicker to process transactions and train staff. The system is easy to use.”

The White House has three floors, including a members’ bar, and a new roof terrace is due for completion this spring. The ground floor is divided into an informal cafe/bar area and a more intimate back bar. There are also two private dining rooms, the Banquet Room, seating up to 26, and the smaller but very snazzy retro-styled Rock Star room, which seats up to eight. Day hire is available for breakfast meetings, seminars and focus groups.

In terms of functionality, Chris is already using Aloha to analyse the big sellers and has integrated his staff clock card system. With 30 full and part-time staff, a great deal of time is saved, he says. He also uses the system to compare turnover to evaluate individual server performance.

The White House is owned by the Atomic Group, which operates an events company as well as several other enterprises. There is some crossover, as White House often hosts or assists Atomic events, such as product launches and road shows.

“We are often busy from morning through to 3am,” Chris says. “This means we have to operate efficiently on all three floors at all hours. A reliable system is a must and I know we can go forward in confidence with Aloha.”