Foodtech startups make business from eateries not by delivery

By Raaghav G R

Posted on October 12, 2016

Why these apps were launched and their features: Foodtech startups are finding out that there is more business within eateries than in delivering food outside. Companies such as Voolsy, Petpooja, Jolly Food Fellow and IdeaChakki are focusing on engaging customers with the restaurants to increase their popularity. An Ahmedabad-based startup, Voolsy launched an inside-restaurant mobile app that allows its customers to book a table, order food and make payments using its app called the iBeacon tech. The app is synchronized with the point-of-sale system. Thus the execution is fast as it allows the restaurant cashier to manage all transactions hassle free. The six-month-old startup has done transactions worth Rs. 2.6 crore till date. “Inside restaurant technology increases their (restaurants’) efficiency, thus increasing table turnaround”, said founder Amrish Patel. Read Top 10 Food Delivery Apps for India.

Jolly Food Fellow: A startup called Jolly Food Fellow, funded by Angel funding, focuses on food discovery by shooting videos on how food is prepared in various restaurants’ kitchens and by food analysis. This startup shoots videos for any restaurant (for a nominal fee) and uploads the video on its app as well as its website so that customers can get to know about different foods and the food-making process in restaurants. Their app can also be used to book tables or order food from restaurants. “The real problem for restaurants is to get visibility with customer engagement and further planning based on the formed data”, said Jolly Food Fellow cofounder Rajiv Sharma. Based on customers’ ratings and comments on its videos, the company analyses the collected data and sends it to the restaurants (again for a nominal fee) to help them identify their customers’ profile and also their popular food. So far, it has uploaded more than 300 food preparation videos and has 90-plus restaurants as its clients across Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara and Surat. Last, but not the least, Delhi-based IdeaChakki’s app, DashMenu, allows the customer to preview the meal visually, while it’s being prepared, on a tablet provided by the restaurant. Read How foodtech startup are loosing restaurants.

Our take: These creative Indian startups should be lauded for launching innovative apps which gives an insight to customers on how food is being prepared in restaurants. By watching the videos, customers can be sure that a particular food item is safe to eat in a particular restaurant. (They can also note down the recipes of their favorite dishes if they want.J)  It also helps restaurants to improve their visibility and to analyze their customers’ profile and understand which of their dishes are good and which ones need improvement. It creates a win – win situation for both customers and restaurant owners. Read Startup News.

Foodtech startups make business from eateries not by delivery