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Investing in SousZen
Freshly-prepared food, at scale.
"It's about not just doing well, cooking well. It’s cooking well always. Always being on time. Always being ready. Always making it the same way.”
- Anthony Bourdain
The opportunity
We've seen game-changing solutions across travel, lodging, and retail industries. But when it comes to FPLO (freshly-prepared, local, organic) restaurants and food trucks, innovation has been slow, and the focus has typically been at the front-of-house (FOH). It has left restaurant kitchens relatively tech free, and procedures and processes relying on out-dated systems, or worse, no systems at all. At SousZen, we believe now is the time for digital disruption, so we've developed a solution that revolutionizes food preparation and management.
Business overview
Fast-casual chains scale through simplification. But, how does an owner of a freshly-prepared, local, organic (FPLO) concept scale given all of the inherent complexity? All across the globe, FPLO cuisine is on the rise. But, unlike fast-casual and industrialized chains, it’s been nearly impossible to scale, until now.
In 2019, the food service market was forecast to grow at 7% CAGR from its current 3 trillion dollar base. The advent of the Coronavirus has had a significant impact on the food service industry. But, smart operators see it as an opportunity for change - a chance to change the way they deliver food to the customer and manage their business. Their focus is on maximizing margins, and they realize that managing inventory, training and retention, and kitchen efficiency are the keys to profitability.
Market
As any restaurant manager worth their salt knows, the kitchen is where margins are made – and lost. In fact, 75 percent of all costs reside here. It makes sense, then, to focus on ways to increase efficiency and improve margins where the cooking occurs.
Our ideal customer runs a complex FPLO operation, but struggles with visibility and efficiency. According to a 2019 study by the National Restaurant Association, over 75% of US adults said they would be more likely to visit a restaurant that offers locally sourced, healthy food.
Why SousZen is needed
There are three main areas that cause problems: The talent crunch in the kitchen; delivering food of a consistent quality (not just on one location but across many) efficiently; and effective inventory control to minimize waste. SousZen creates a new approach to food service management that helps solve all three of these perennial pain points.
World-leading partners
Backers
Financial support
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PepsiCo
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Xinova Labs
Partners
Product and business development
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Haier
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Innit
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Sparkling Logic
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Agrima
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Montana Fogg
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Multipeak
Go-to-market
Subscription revenues
Via monthly SaaS
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First 3 locations free for Manager™ product
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Expeditor™ product added on for timing and appliance control
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Advisor™ product added on for multi-location oversight
Marketing
Driving adoption
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Free software downloads
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Public relations campaigns
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Partnerships with celebrity chefs
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Demo food cart for tradeshows
Licensing revenues
Via partners and affiliates
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OEM appliance manufacturers
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Turnkey food carts
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Integrations and preferences for ingredient distributors
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Formation of a market network
Targets
Go-to-market
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Multi-location owners and operators
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Ghost kitchens / commercial kitchens
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Pepsi affiliates
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Resellers / distributors
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International untapped markets
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