Siobhan Squires came up with the idea for Oasis after working in hospitality for over a decade. Photo / Bijou Johnson
The name Oasis came from a leisure and community centre in her home town, Swindon, in the United Kingdom.
She moved to New Zealand nine years ago, after a year living in Australia.
Squires said the name also referred to a fertile place in the desert – a place you go to for water and sustenance. The Oasis app was “the place to go to for deals”.
When it came to launching a new business, she said she took her dad’s advice to “go for it”.
He told her, “If you don’t, you’re always going to ask ‘what if’?”
Before the ghost of missed opportunities could haunt her, Squires decided to take the leap in November last year.
Her hospitality experience gave her a “good idea of what people want and need, and how that has changed after Covid-19”.
“Places are really struggling, so this is my way of making everything better for people.”
“People aren’t going out. They’re getting used to staying at home.
“Businesses have less margin to discount their products to attract customers.”
RNZ reported this year that 2564 hospitality businesses had closed in the previous 12 months.
“It’s easier to stay home, order a pizza and hang out with flatmates, than going to a bar and meeting new people,” Squires said.
She identified a gap in the industry that her app could fill.
“The app will spice up summer here.”
Oasis founder Siobhan Squires making a cocktail at Fox’s Hawker House & Garden. Photo / Bijou Johnson
She asked herself, “How can I make a customer buy a burger from an independently owned company as opposed to McDonald’s or Burger King?”
Businesses would have the option to add a discount, but they could also serve full-price items and reward users with a badge.
Users collect badges, then sell them for points – the in-app currency – and redeem those points for rewards such as a cinema ticket or donate them to Bay Conservation Alliance.
“You’re going out anyway to get a coffee, so you can use the app at your local coffee shop.
Squires said the app would introduce customers to new venues.
“People go to a bar for the cocktail, then explore the food menu. The app is opening up visibility into businesses that people may not have had access to before.”
Each month, the app would have a different theme.
The Taco Titan badge would be available in January or February, with establishments presenting their twist on a taco for customers to try.
A coffee month was also in the works.
Squires has set her sights high with future plans, including potential expansion to Tauranga and Pāpāmoa, then Wellington, Auckland, Queenstown and, one day, Australia.
“I want the app to be national. It’s a way for tourists to accumulate points as they travel New Zealand.”
Squires said she wanted to unite the hospitality industry through Oasis.
“I want to build a community around hospitality. People have stopped connecting with each other. How many times do people go to a cafe, but when do you actually spend time hanging out with the people who work there?”
She said she wanted to bring residents and hospitality workers together with the Oasis launch event on November 30.
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Bijou Johnson is a multimedia journalist based in the Bay of Plenty. A passionate writer and reader, she grew up in Tauranga and developed a love for journalism while exploring various disciplines at university. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies from Massey University.