How Incontro replaced guesswork with a digital guest experience

Incontro is one of Sweden's leading school restaurant operators. Across their portfolio, Pej is their technology partner of choice. At Kunskapsgallerian in Sickla, that partnership meets its biggest test: four schools, 2000 students, and 1600 meals served every single day.

The challenge

Incontro ran lunch operations at Kunskapsgallerian the way most school caterers do. A plastic card at the door confirmed that someone had entered. It said nothing about who. Cards could be borrowed. A student who stayed home could hand theirs to a friend, and the system had no way to tell.

The setup was missing two-way communication. Incontro could not reach students with menu updates or collect their feedback. And without reliable data, there was no way to understand the operation or improve it. Attendance was estimated from enrollment figures. How much food to prepare was a guess from there.

"We based our forecasts on the number of enrolled students and took a rough guess at how much of that food would actually be needed," says Jim Nilsson, CEO at Incontro

The solution

Pej built Campus by Incontro, a branded guest app that gives students a direct window into the restaurant. They can follow the menu and see how it changes, share personal feedback, and receive updates from Incontro directly. Both Incontro and the school get data personalised to their needs, giving them the insight to understand the operation and act on it.

With the app in hand, guests walk up to one of two Pej Purchase Units at the canteen entrance, scan their in-app QR code, and move through. 1600 times a day.

Managing the guest experience is equally straightforward. The app gives Incontro a direct communication channel to students, with menus, news, and activities published through a simple admin interface and delivered as push notifications.

The app also hosts custom experiences like the food waste game, where students learn about reducing food waste in a format that connects to both Incontro's and the school's sustainability values.

"A very fun and important part of the app that builds understanding of something that matters deeply to us and to the schools," says Jim Nilsson.

The results

• Invoicing based on actual meals served, not enrollment estimates

• Incontro and the clients now spend less on admin

• Real-time attendance data for scheduling and volume planning

• Reduced food waste through accurate daily forecasting

• Faster guest flow and shorter peak-hour queues

• Direct student communication via push notifications and in-app feedback

• Incontro has positioned itself as a digital front-runner in bids and tenders

The partnership

"The collaboration with Pej has been excellent from the start. They listened to my challenges, presented solutions, and stayed involved throughout." Jim Nilsson, CEO at Incontro

The goal is to roll out Campus by Incontro across all of Incontro's upper secondary schools. Bringing accurate data, less food waste, and a direct guest relationship to every site they operate.

See it in action