[ad_1]
The opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You are reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise from Entrepreneur Media.
When it comes to the restaurant industry, digitization has definitely changed the way the industry works. But here’s the thing: Most of these advances—from the growth of cloud kitchens to the rise of digital food ordering—have primarily occurred in the B2C space.However, many businesses in the B2B space, especially those that take place between food suppliers and other food entities, are still behind the digitalization curve—a problem facing Manar AlKassar and Ahmed Soliman, co-founders of Emirati-based restaurant supply management platform caseseek a solution.
“Originally, we were working [towards] A whole different business — we were working with existing restaurants to build a tech-enabled 10-minute coffee delivery,” recalls the co-founders. “However, after talking to restaurateurs, we discovered two major question. Firstly, purchasing is one of the biggest challenges they face and the process is mostly manual, pen and paper or on WhatsApp. Some restaurants still use 30-year-old fax machines to place orders! Second, food waste is a major problem that no one seems to be effectively addressing.although Catering Already the poster child for our digital lifestyle, where customers can order anything and receive it within minutes, the B2B food ordering process is deeply flawed and far behind. This inspired us to shift our thinking and focus on creating a platform to simplify the supply chain, reduce food waste and improve the overall sustainability of the food industry. “
Now, the operational flaws observed by AlKassar and Soliman have apparently existed for many years. But it’s the COVID-19 crisis that has fully revealed just how fragmented the B2B food supply chain is. While this is a startup launched during the 2021 pandemic, Kaso was able to meet the above challenges head on. “During the pandemic, supply chains have been severely disrupted, and there’s been a lot of uncertainty and disruption in restaurants’ ability to forecast demand,” AlKassar said. “To address these pain points, we developed a platform that helps restaurants find alternative suppliers and products across our extensive network, reducing their reliance on a single supplier and ensuring business continuity. Additionally, we assist restaurants in finding new suppliers when existing suppliers cannot meet demand. Our platform also provides better predictive tools to help restaurants reduce food waste by optimizing purchasing processes. “
Case team.Source: Case
Kaso focuses on fine dining establishments, so its target market includes restaurants, cafes, hotels and food service providers in the MENA region, and in less than two years since its launch, it has already partnered with more than 5,000 restaurants in the UAE. Partners established a partnership with Saudi Arabia. Notably, Kaso is also favored by established fast food chains like Burger King, Tim Hortons and Caribou Coffee, as well as casual dining brands like Chili’s and Buffalo Wild Wings.Once registered on the Kaso platform, any designated restaurant can start using its service within 24 hours, where it can access tools such as real-time inventory management, demand forecasting, order tracking and an analytics platform that provides customized reports according to their specific needs“Some of the most compelling feedback we’ve received includes customers finding Kaso to be a game changer, revolutionizing the way they manage their supply chain,” added the co-founder. “Restaurants are particularly pleased with our user-friendly interface, seamless integration with suppliers, real-time updates, and the valuable insights our reporting features provide.”
From the very first customer, the Kaso team has seen how restaurants benefit from improving their operations with its tools. But the team also realized that to avoid procurement inefficiencies entirely, it was necessary to integrate the suppliers themselves into their solution. “A key differentiator of our platform is that we provide restaurants and suppliers with customized solutions to meet their unique needs and requirements,” AlKassar explained. “For suppliers, we provide access to a large and diverse network of customers, as well as tools to manage orders and deliveries to improve operational efficiency and reduce waste. The advanced analytics platform also extends to suppliers, assisting them in managing and acquiring customers. Furthermore, our marketplace serves a dual role in meeting the needs of both groups. For restaurants, the marketplace helps them find the best prices, and for suppliers, it serves as an effective Sales tools to showcase their products and reach a wider audience.”
Kaso co-founder Manar AlKassar.Source: Gasoline
Before going any further, however, it may be important to understand the magnitude of the problem Kaso is addressing. A 2019 report from UK food waste solutions company Winnow, data collected from 450 restaurants in 25 countries, including the UAE and Qatar, shows that more than 70 percent of food waste occurs before it even reaches customers’ plates. The report also found that overproduction accounts for about 80% of the cost of this waste – a problem that has unfortunately been increasing over the years. “Today, 40 percent of food goes in the trash,” AlKassar explained. “When realizing that 70% of this actually happens before the end customer, it becomes clear that, in addition to a moral imperative, there is a huge economic opportunity to optimize the food system. We help reduce food waste by enabling restaurants to order and only receive what is necessary raw materials, reducing over-ordering and spoilage. In addition, Kaso provides a platform for suppliers to sell their soon-to-expire products instead of throwing them away, thereby helping to balance excess capacity from one player to another. Therefore , Kaso has helped some of its clients reduce food waste by up to 20%, has also helped restaurants save more than two hours a day on operational tasks, and reduced incorrect order deliveries by 80%.
related: Addressing Food Insecurity in the Middle East and North Africa: A Handbook for the Private Sector
Now, it can be said that the inefficiencies discussed so far have been roughly described. After all, supply chain issues often present nuances unique to a particular country’s F&B ecosystem. Aware of these differences, AlKassar and Soliman carefully constrained how Kaso could provide its services—a tactic that is most evident in how the duo differentiates between the UAE and Saudi markets. “Saudi Arabia’s sourcing is more challenging due to the difficulty of importing goods,” the duo explained. “We even built a WhatsApp integration to cater to the preferences of KSA customers, as they primarily use WhatsApp for communication. This allowed us to build solutions around what they were already using. On the other hand, The UAE market is more technologically mature, which helps us integrate with existing systems. We are learning and adapting our approach to the unique characteristics of each market. Looking ahead, we plan to enter two additional markets this year, further expanding our presence and influence in the restaurant industry in the MENA region. “
Case co-founder Ahmed Soliman. Source: Case
This orchestrated approach has earned Kaso interest from investors around the world. In September 2021, it raised a $2.1 million seed round led by German venture capital firms Global Founders Capital and Chinese investment companies Daiwa Capital. In February 2022, the startup also received funding from the US Tech Startup Accelerator Y combiner. Subsequently, in January 2023, Kaso also entered into a strategic partnership with a point-of-sale and restaurant management platform in Saudi Arabia foodie, to consolidate its presence in the kingdom. “KASO is fortunate to have secured funding from some of the most prominent and reputable investors in the region and the world,” Soliman said. “Some of our investors have been key drivers in disrupting the customer-facing aspects of the food industry in backing companies like Delivery Hero, Doordash, Foodics, Kitopi, and now they share with us the vision to disrupt the food B2B food supply industry.”
However, AlKassar and Soliman revealed that Kaso is far from realizing its final vision at this stage.“Digitalizing the ordering process between restaurants and suppliers is just the beginning of a long journey to disrupt and make the entire food supply chain more efficient, transparent and sustainable – from farmer to fork,” they said. “Our ambitious plans More than just facilitating seamless transactions. We also want to bring more transparency and traceability to the end customer at the restaurant table – for example by tracking where your produce comes from and also implementing ‘tip the farmer’ etc. Function.At KASO, we believe in the transformative potential of technology and collaboration Reshape the entire catering landscape, to create a more sustainable and prosperous ecosystem for all participants. “
‘TREP TALK: Kaso co-founders Manar AlKassar and Ahmed Soliman share their advice for F&B entrepreneurs
1. Know and listen to your users. “This is relevant to any entrepreneur in any industry. Y Combinator’s motto is ‘Make what people want,’ and it pretty much sums it up in one sentence.”
2. Patience and resilience are key. “On your journey to disrupt an industry, you’re going to hear a lot of no. When meet the great challenge, you will face many obstacles – don’t give up. In retrospect it was always simple and easy, but it was never as easy as it seemed in hindsight. “
3. Be flexible and adaptable. “The restaurant industry is constantly evolving and changing. Trends come and go quickly, but it’s about building something that lasts.”
4. Impact matters. “Building something that positively impacts thousands of people is not an easy journey, but it is incredibly rewarding. Don’t forget to enjoy the journey rather than the goal. Do good, do good!”
related: Startup Spotlight: Saudi Arabia-based Uvera is here to save you from spoiled food
[ad_2]
Source link