Every great business starts with an idea, a challenge, or a moment of clarity that acts as a catalyst for action. For IndiCater, that moment came when our founder was working in an industry still running on spreadsheets… and he imagined something better. What began as a simple frustration in the early days of the internet has since grown into a leading hospitality software platform: one that’s trusted, respected, and still guided by the same core values that defined it from day one.
In this Q&A, we sit down with IndiCater’s founder, Mike Day, to look back at where it all began, the inspiration behind the company, the challenges of building technology before “the cloud” even existed, and the legacy that continues to shape IndiCater today.
Take us back to the very beginning. Where did the idea for IndiCater come from, and what were those early days like?
After selling my previous business, Customised Contract Catering, I enrolled on a short course at Harvard called Odyssey: The School for the Second Half of Your Life. It brought together people from all over the world – some who’d sold their businesses, some who’d stepped away from corporate careers – all of us trying to figure out what came next. That’s where the seed for IndiCater was planted.
I knew firsthand the challenges contract caterers were up against. Entire operations were being run on Excel spreadsheets. The internet was brand new, and most clients were sceptical about putting processes online. But I could see the potential, and I had a vision to automate it all.
I didn’t want to do it alone, though. Through Oxford Brookes, I put the word out that I was looking for someone to help bring this idea to life. That’s how I met Lou Willcock. Lou became the beating heart of IndiCater. She was the one who built the relationships, led our sales and marketing, and gave the business its warmth and personality. We lost Lou tragically just a year before selling the company, but her fingerprints were on everything we built.
It was Lou who came up with the name IndiCater – a completely made-up word, unique to us. It captured our goal of being an indicator for businesses while nodding to the catering world we were serving. It was perfect… except for the time a client accidentally paid £12,000 to a company called Indicate-or!
We launched the business at The Magic Circle in London, home of Britain’s magicians – fitting, really, because there was definitely a bit of smoke and mirrors involved. We invited colleagues, prospects, and friends, but we didn’t even have the product yet. What we did have was the vision. We knew the challenges contract caterers faced, and we knew exactly what we wanted to build to help them overcome them.
What were the biggest challenges throughout developing IndiCater?
Looking back, one of the biggest early challenges was technology itself.
In 2000, there was no cloud, no remote internet access. We were installing the very first version of IndiCater on floppy disks, automating basic tasks like income tracking, invoices, and staff hours. It was scrappy, but it worked. We drove around the country visiting client sites to set it up manually. There were no competitors back then; in many ways, we were pioneers. It’s so different now – cheaper, faster, and far easier to launch a new business.
But we weren’t technology experts. We had no formal background in software development. We just knew what we wanted the platform to do, so we partnered with a small offshore tech team to help us bring the vision to life. As our clients’ needs grew, the platform grew with them – procurement, hospitality ordering, HR automation – feature by feature, it became a much more powerful system than we ever imagined at the start.
Every year brought massive changes in technology, and our team constantly pushed to make IndiCater faster, smoother, and better – often in ways clients never even saw.
But through all that growth, we stayed true to one core principle: “one version of the truth.” From day one, we refused to have multiple versions of data floating around. I was always amazed when other companies admitted they didn’t have that – the risks were huge.
We also never said no to a client. If someone asked for a new feature, we found a way to deliver it. Our clients were so diverse that keeping a single source of truth while allowing for customisation was critical. It pushed us to innovate constantly.
Eventually, you decided to sell IndiCater. How did you know it was the right time, and why Volaris Group?
I was looking towards retirement, so I started researching and came across Volaris Group, part of CSI.
Their approach was completely different. They acquire companies but keep them independent. The team stays intact. The culture stays intact. They invest in talent and provide resources without stripping away what makes a business unique.
I simply filled in a form on their website and was soon speaking with Ricky, at the time their M&A lead. He was fantastic – straightforward, supportive, and genuinely interested in the business. The whole process was surprisingly quick and efficient, and it led to a great outcome on both sides.
Importantly, Ruth was able to take over from me, providing continuity for the team and the clients while thriving as part of the wider Volaris family. She was my natural successor, and at the time there weren’t many female leaders within the group, so it was brilliant to see Volaris embrace and support that.
Finally, looking back, what memories stand out most to you?
By the time I reached the point of selling IndiCater, I had to explain who we were as a business. It had taken years to build the right team, to find the right mix of talent, drive, and culture, and I was selling at the point when the team was at its absolute best.
I was so proud of them. Truly the best in every way. And it means a lot to me that many of them are still there today, continuing to grow IndiCater and carry that legacy forward.
I have countless fond memories: Freaky Friday office traditions, Chinese New Year lunches, picnics on the Thames, and the Christmas video we made one year that was so bad it was brilliant.
We worked hard, but we had fun. That culture, the values, they were every bit as important as the software we built.
And seeing IndiCater still thriving today, still independent within the Volaris Group, and still keeping that spirit alive… well, that’s a legacy I’m incredibly proud to have left behind.
Continuing the IndiCater story
From floppy disks to cloud-based innovation, the story of IndiCater is similar to the industry it serves, one of ambition, resilience, and people. Technology alone doesn’t build a great company – the people do. The relationships, the culture, the memories, and the shared purpose are what have kept IndiCater thriving long after its founding years.
As the business continues to grow within the Volaris Group, we still carry forward the same values that started it all: integrity, collaboration, and a commitment to always deliver “one version of the truth.” A legacy that proves, when built on purpose and passion, great ideas stand the test of time.
