Spotlas: Footballer Eric Dier launches Instagram-like app so you never have a bad meal again

Not sure where to go for dinner? Follow your friends on Spotlas and see what they recommend 
Follow friends and family on Spotlas to see where they recommend to visit
AFP via Getty Images
Amelia Heathman15 August 2020

People are tentatively visiting the pub and eating out again across the city, with Soho restaurants, in particular, reaping the benefits of car-free streets.

If you’re only eating out once a week, maybe twice if you’re taking advantage of Eat Out To Help Out, you want to make sure every moment counts. That’s where new recommendation app Spotlas comes in.

Spotlas’ founders include England and Tottenham Hotspur footballer Eric Dier, his brother Patrick and friend Zoe Connick. Connick came up with the idea during her final few months of university after discovering a cafe she loved and wished she’d spent more time in during her time in the city. “There’s such an inefficiency recommending places,” explains Patrick. “You only really get a recommendation from a friend if you specifically ask. The idea snowballed from there.”

The app looks more like a social network, akin to an Instagram, than a TripAdvisor. People set up profiles and follow their friends and family who will post photos about “spots” they’ve visited and loved. Spots can be anywhere in the world, from beaches and hotels to bars and churches. A map feature will allow you to find places near you marked by Spotmojis such as sushi or pizza - a more personalised version of a map pin. The homepage will allow users to save the places they want to visit or plan to return to, and the Discover section will showcase recommendations from accounts they don’t follow.

Looking for a bar or club? The app automatically switches to dark mode and replaces the feed with nighttime spots so you don’t have to scroll through loads of cafes to find the place you want to attend.

Overall, the idea is that it’s about seeking out recommendations from people you know. “TripAdvisor and Expedia are all pedalling ratings and reviews. Those are evaluations, and we want recommendations - from people you know and trust are more valuable than anonymous ratings and reviews,” says Patrick.

The app has been in development since 2018, something Patrick says has been “a massive learning process” for the trio. Whilst Eric has been bootstrapping the app, Patrick and Zoe take care of the development and marketing sides respectively, and the three meet weekly to discuss the latest updates. The pandemic also delayed the app’s rollout, but they’re positive this helped to make it better.

Spotlas users can set up profiles and save their favourite 'spots' which they can recommend to friends and followers (Spotlas )
Spotlas

Brothers going into tech together is quite common. Payments start-up Stripe was set up by two brothers, Patrick and John Collinson, whilst Berlin venture builder Rocket Internet which founded Zalando in 2008 was launched by three brothers, Marc, Oliver and Alexander Samwer. Has it tested their relationship? “I think we manage it well,” says Eric. “Pre-quarantine, when we had meetings about the app they were always at the office and those things make a big difference because we’re in a space where we’re talking about the app. We treat it like a different relationship.”

It helps that things have been in the works for nearly two years. “Things will mix, especially in the more high-pressure times it’s challenging, but I’m pretty confident that we’re set up well to handle it,” adds Patrick.

The trend for sports professionals to back tech companies is also becoming increasingly common. Tennis star Serena Willaims launched a venture fund last year to invest in women, people of colour and young entrepreneurs, whilst Andy Murray enjoys crowdfunding various start-ups.

Eric says the important thing for him is that he believed in the idea, but it’s also been an exciting process. “Tech is something we use every day and it’s exciting to have something you’ve created on your phone. We’re really excited about the launch now.”

But is now the right time to be launching an app that encourages people to go out and visit places, when parts of the country are at risk of local lockdowns and countries like France have been placed on the quarantine list? “People are more precious about dinners out, it’s less on an everyday thing”, explains Patrick. “This works well for Spotlas because it’s all about not wasting a meal out somewhere you don’t trust.”

When the brothers go out for dinner, they are both big fans of the steak restaurant Beast as well as Portuguese restaurants, given the years they spent growing up there. You can use Spotlas to book places via third-party providers, but eventually, the team will roll out an in-app booking process to make it more seamless to go from discovering a restaurant or hotel to securing your visit.

“Our ultimate goal is that Spotlas is the app you open every time you want to choose a restaurant, hotel or somewhere to go. Every time you make that decision and want some guidance, whether it’s directions, look at a menu, or to book, we want that whole experience to happen on Spotlas,” says Patrick.

Spotlas is available to download now on the Apple App Store

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