People like to try worldwide cuisines but are unable to order from their favorite restaurants every time. Only a few restaurant companies have opened their franchise worldwide. The rest struggle a lot to run their business globally. But now, cloud kitchen is making their work easier. Many entrepreneurs and start-ups want to know what is cloud kitchen. It is a ground-breaking technology to globalize local restaurants.
As food-ordering and delivery apps are becoming popular worldwide, start-ups and new restaurant owners are getting encouraged for opening cloud kitchens in different parts of the world. So, what is cloud kitchen? It is a simple kitchen that takes orders from customers and makes timely delivery on behalf of a restaurant based in another state, country, or region of the world.
It is not supposed to serve the customer’s sitting and resting arrangement. Either customer can have their food packed or place an order for home delivery. There’s so much more you need to know about cloud kitchen. In this article, we’ll discuss how you can build a cloud kitchen platform like Kitopi based in the UAE.
Let’s proceed!
Introduction to Kitopi Kitchen
Kitopi is based in the UAE and is the most popular cloud kitchen out there. Many world-famous restaurant companies approach it to sell their stuff in the UAE and Dubai. Kitopi was started in 2018 and served many people during the Covid19 pandemic period. Likewise, the concept of cloud kitchen became successful in Dubai and is still so popular in the city. Kitopi is a perfect answer to what is cloud kitchen that you can go through.
Besides Kitopi, REEF and Cloud Kitchens are among other famous options in the UAE and western markets. Last year, Kitopi raised $415 million from global investors like SoftBank Group Corp. You can see bigger corporations are showing good interest in business models like cloud kitchen. Kitopi targets hundreds of restaurants based in Dubai and worldwide to serve customers’ favorite cuisines at their doorstep.
Their platform lets them receive orders, manage deliveries and handle various customer reviews to make changes to their business operations if needed. Kitopi Kitchen gets an onboarding fee from various restaurants that want to connect. Moreover, there’s a 10% royalty fee provided by the platform to various restaurant companies. This is the business model of Kitopi Kitchen.
How to Create a Cloud Kitchen Platform like Kitopi?
If you’re also looking to set up a cloud kitchen business in Dubai or other regions of the world, you may go through the business strategies of Kitopi. Making your first cloud kitchen app can be challenging and you must share your business ideas with various restaurant businesses in your region. Local eating spots are easy to target and they want their businesses to expand more. So, building a cloud kitchen platform can help you collaborate better with these restaurants.
In this segment, we’ll discuss how you can create your cloud kitchen app and start your business operations like Kitopi. Let’s proceed to the topic:
1. Select a Cloud Kitchen Model
The most important step is to decide on an ideal cloud kitchen model for your business setup and expansion. Cloud kitchens can be of 4 types- Cloud Restaurant, Standalone Kitchen, Aggregator, and Co-Working Cloud Kitchen. The Standalone model focus on a single cuisine having multiple varieties- For example, Dominos is famous only for Pizzas. You need around $20,000 to start such a Standalone Kitchen.
2. Location
A setup location is also very important for such a business. A cloud kitchen app can’t work without a specific kitchen venue. The app developers and owners must make sure where their target audience resides. Knowing the eating culture of a particular region is equally important. You can’t serve non-veg restaurants at a place where there’s no demand for them. Therefore, you should select your target location.
3. Get the License
Your cloud kitchen is also like a restaurant business that needs a proper license to run. The difference is that you don’t have to offer your customers a table or space for sitting. A license is a crucial part of the kitchen ecosystem. Most customers can’t reach the outlet or kitchen where the food is prepared. So, they review the license to analyze the reliability of the kitchen, hygiene, and food safety.
4. Kitchen Staff
You have to hire a kitchen staff on behalf of associated restaurants and it could become challenging in case you’re willing to serve a renowned restaurant brand like KFC, Dominos, Mc Donald’s, etc. These companies have secret recipes that they don’t often share with others. The cloud kitchen cost also depends on such factors as you need to pay the cooks and chefs’ salaries involved in your business operations.
5. Cooking Equipment
You should also list down all important kitchen equipment used for making delicious and ready-to-serve items for your customers. That equipment must contribute to quality cooking and timely delivery of food. The equipment also contributes to the cost of business setup and can be very expensive at times. The equipment consists of- Chimney, Dish Washer, Utensils, Refrigerator, Microwave Oven, Mixer-Grinder, Knives, Tools & Gadgets.
6. Analyse the Cost
There’s some cost involved in setting up a cloud kitchen platform. It may depend on the location of the setup or equipment purchased. It can also depend on the cloud kitchen model you’ve selected for your business establishment. The cloud kitchen cost in the UAE can be between AED 60,000 to 80,000. You may also compare it with the cost in the North American and European regions.
7. Technical Requirements
Moving ahead you have to fulfil some technical requirements and it includes multiple operations. So, you must set up your staff and cloud kitchen team ahead of time. Team members can suggest better regarding your cloud kitchen requirements. They have experience working in various restaurants and smart kitchens. The tech requirements consist of- Mobile App, POS, Calling System, Integrated Display, Inventory Management, etc.
8. Promote Your Project
Before you build a kitchen online, make sure to do marketing for it. Cloud kitchen is a new concept for worldwide restaurant owners. You must explain your services to them and also to the local food lovers. You can do this by creating a mobile app that’s easy to use by both restaurant owners and customers. Using digital marketing services like SEO, SMM, SEM, etc., you can easily promote your plans.
You may also know how to invest in cloud kitchens and help someone’s business grow. You can expect incredible returns as Food and Restaurant industries are one of the most potential industries in the world.
Final Thought
Building a cloud kitchen can be difficult initially but with a reliable team and a group of trusted investors you can start a potential online business in the corresponding sector. To know more about what is cloud kitchen platform, you can approach a cloud app development company and share your business objectives with the development experts. Find your business opportunities today.
