The investment forms part of a wider £200m commitment across the UK over five years, aimed at supporting independent pubs, bars and restaurants with funding for expansion and refurbishment.
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Founded in Manchester in 2024, Shuffle combines a customer cashback app with a funding service for hospitality operators, designed to help businesses attract customers and access capital to grow.
The company, which currently operates in Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh, has already invested more than £7m across 250 hospitality venues and returned over £2m in rewards to customers.
How it works
Through Shuffle Finance, participating operators can access upfront funding to open new sites, refurbish existing venues or develop new concepts without giving up ownership of their businesses.
Meanwhile, the Shuffle Rewards app encourages customers to visit participating pubs, bars and restaurants by offering cashback of between 5% and 100% on eligible bills.
Customers pay £2.99 per month to use the app, pay their bill as normal and receive cashback that can be withdrawn directly into their bank account.
Under the model, Shuffle provides funding to hospitality businesses and uses its rewards scheme to attract customers, with spending at participating venues helping repay the investment over time.
The company said its data showed 80% of customers visiting through the platform were new to participating venues, while users spent 45% more when dining out.
The launch follows other initiatives aimed at driving pub footfall through digital rewards, including Heineken and Amazon’s recently launched Pubscription service, which allows customers to discover participating pubs and redeem drinks vouchers.
London expansion
The London launch will include independent hospitality businesses such as Electric Star Pubs, the Macbeth, Acme Fire Cult, Lina Stores, Burger & Beyond and Mare Street Market.
Shuffle co-founder and chief executive Ollie Purdue said: “London is the next major milestone in Shuffle’s growth and our £30 million investment commitment reflects the scale of the opportunity we see in the capital.”
He added that the investment formed part of the company’s ambition to develop a model supporting both hospitality operators and consumers.
The platform is offering early access to selected London customers this month, ahead of its wider launch in January 2027.
The plans come as specialist lenders increasingly target the pub sector, with property adviser Christie & Co recently reporting greater access to funding for operators looking to acquire or expand venues.
