Customer Story Wallop
Introduction
Wallop is a group of independent neighbourhood cafe bar venues founded by Justin Wallop, a passionate restaurateur and designer who has spent over 20 years creating vib
rant, welcoming spaces across the North West.
Starting with a single venue in Didsbury, Justin’s journey has evolved from hands-on refurbishments of quirky sites (including a former Blockbuster!) into a much-loved series of local bars with three distinct locations across the greater Manchester area.
Driven by a love of design, community and doing things differently, Justin’s venues are known for their distinctive style and independent spirit. Today, Wallop has three sites and a strong local following.
“I’m in a fast-paced industry, I don’t have time to chase ticket numbers or explain things five times. I just want to know that everything’s running smoothly. And if something goes wrong, I want to be able to speak to someone who’ll fix it straight away.”
The challenge
Running a hospitality business means there’s always something going on. For Justin, that’s everything from building new sites and managing teams to building an online presence.
It’s an industry that can be fast, unpredictable and hands-on. This means that anything that creates unnecessary friction quickly becomes a problem.
“I’m in a fast-paced industry, I don’t have time to chase ticket numbers or explain things five times. I just want to know that everything’s running smoothly. And if something goes wrong, I want to be able to speak to someone who’ll fix it straight away.”
That need for reliability extends to everything digital. Think bookings, emails, domains and website performance. It might not be front-of-house, but when it breaks, it’s a major distraction.
Justin had worked with other digital partners in the past but often found himself stuck in long-winded processes or left with something that didn’t work for the business.
What he needed was a hosting provider that provided dependable support and one less thing to worry about in a business where every day brings something new.
Our solution
Justin first discovered 34SP.com over ten years ago when opening his first Didsbury venue. From the start, the experience stood out as straightforward, local and most importantly, responsive.
“There’s a local 0161 number on the website. You ring it, someone picks up quickly and they solve the problem. It’s rare and it’s brilliant.”
Since then, 34SP.com has hosted Wallop’s websites, domains and email, helping keep everything in one place. Whether it’s updating DNS settings, migrating services, or resolving a technical issue, Justin and his team have a single point of contact to manage everything associated with his website.
“34SP.com has always made things easy. Hosting, emails, technical stuff, all sorted in minutes. It’s peace of mind and that’s exactly what you want.”
The results
For Justin, the real value of working with 34SP.com is simple. He doesn’t have to worry about it.
As Wallop has brought more of its marketing in-house, the team’s been able to move faster and take more control, from brand design to content and social. Behind it all, 34SP.com provides a stable, straightforward foundation that doesn’t get in the way.
“I’ve just slowly fallen in love with 34SP.com. Even though we’ve grown and they’ve grown, you can still ring their number, they still pick up quickly and they still sort the problem. It’s just consistently great.”
Justin’s Advice
For Justin, investing in a strong digital foundation is no longer optional. But that doesn’t mean it needs to be overcomplicated. His advice to other independent hospitality businesses? Keep it simple, stay in control, and work with people you trust.
“You need a website, no doubt about it. But more importantly, it needs to work for your business and customers. People want to book quickly, find out where you are and maybe check a few reviews. The key is to make that journey seamless.”
Justin emphasises the importance of reducing friction wherever possible. Whether it’s a table booking, an email query or someone checking if you’re open on a bank holiday, your digital presence should answer those questions instantly, without customers jumping through hoops.
“Put your phone number on the homepage. Make it easy to book a table. Don’t hide the important stuff. Just make it easy. Because if people hit a wall, they’ll just go somewhere else.”
Another thing Justin has learned is that it’s better to deal with your customers directly. Third-party platforms might help you get discovered, but they take a cut and keep hold of valuable customer data. His view? Use them to get people in the door, but after that, make sure they come back to you.
“Third-party platforms are great for getting new people through the door, but once they’ve visited, we want them coming straight to us. If they’re still booking through a third party after that, we’ve failed to bring them into our world.”
After years of trial and error, Justin has now bought more of his marketing in-house, including design and social media, giving Wallop greater agility and brand control. But throughout, he stresses the need to build around solid infrastructure. “You can’t scale creativity or customer experience if the basics aren’t covered. That’s why 34SP.com works. It just runs in the background and gives me peace of mind.”
His final piece of advice? Don’t underestimate the power of human help.
“If you find a provider who makes life easier and picks up the phone when you call, stick with them. That kind of support’s rare these days. It makes a real difference.”
Ready to get started?
Are you ready for outstanding service and impeccable hosting? We’re so convinced you’ll love what we do, we’ll even give you a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you ever decide you want to leave us you can close your account and we’ll refund the last 30 days of your hosting fees.