With increased access to rentable commercial kitchen spaces, availability of technology stack and huge funding, KaaS-based offering is hot in the GCC region
A move reflecting international market players joining hands to catch up with the fast-growing demand for online delivery of food in the GCC region, C3 (Creating Culinary Communities), the tech-enabled food and beverage platform, has struck a partnership deal with Kitopi, the Dubai-based leading cloud kitchen platform, for fast-forwarding their expansion plans in the region.
With the recent report suggesting that the UAE is emerging as a leading market for online food delivery with annual market size of over $800 million, the partnership with C3 cements Kitopi as a key player in the GCC culinary marketplace.
As part of the initial launch, C3, a virtual ghost kitchen space leader, will licence 10 of its digital restaurant brands to Kitopi, including Umami Burger, Sam’s Crispy Chicken and Krispy Rice. C3 will also introduce Michelin-starred chef Masaharu Morimoto to the UAE through the launch of Sa’moto by Morimoto.
Founded in 2018, Kitopi is one of the world’s first managed cloud kitchens. The company specialises in end-to-end operations, providing restaurateurs with the platform for amplification and rapid expansion while they take care of all back-end operations and customer experience management. Today, Kitopi has 65 kitchens and more than 200 culinary brands across the Middle East’s leading markets.
“Our customers trust Kitopi to bring them innovative and undiscovered culinary experiences,” said Mohamad Ballout, founder of Kitopi. “The brands that C3 have created are exactly what our diverse, ever-evolving region is looking for. The menus offer unique flavours and dishes – like the Japanese-inspired Umami Burger – not commonly found in our marketplace.
“Both C3 and Kitopi firmly believe in creating community-based experiences around food, and this partnership will further strengthen our efforts to connect diners all over the world through the shared enjoyment of a good meal,” Ballout added.
Of late, as consumers have been forced to turn online for food delivery due to the pandemic-induced lockdowns and movement restrictions, Cloud kitchens have garnered attention from global investors and international food brands.
Last year, Kitopi raised $60 million, a round of financing led by Knollwood Investment Advisory and Lumia Capital to expand its services, taking total investments in the venture to $120 million since it was founded in 2018. The company currently operates over 60 kitchens across the region and partners with more than 170 brands globally.
All C3 concepts available through Kitopi’s cloud kitchens will be powered by CITIZENS GO, a mobile app developed by C3 and Lunchbox, which enables users to group orders from multiple C3 brands into a single cart, without any hidden delivery fees.
This strategic partnership marks C3’s first international development, introducing the company’s popular concepts to consumers in the UAE, with additional markets to come through Kitopi’s network throughout the Middle East and Asia.
“International expansion has been a pillar of C3’s growth model from the beginning. When the time came to execute on that vision, we knew we wanted to partner with Kitopi and bring our brands to an influential market like the UAE,” said Sam Nazarian, founder and CEO of C3.
“Our restaurant concepts are poised to do exceptionally well in Abu Dhabi and Dubai because of the personal connections residents have formed with our brands during their own international travels,” Nazarian added.
“Now we’re coming to them; offering Kitopi’s dedicated patrons direct access to Umami Burger, Sam’s Crispy Chicken, Krispy Rice and Sa’moto by Morimoto through our app and within their own communities.”
All of C3’s brands will be available in Kitopi’s cloud kitchens across the UAE, KSA, Kuwait and Bahrain. The first 65 locations will roll out within the next six months, each offering menu items from all 10 of C3’s popular brands.
The first C3 brands are set to go live in Kitopi kitchens this summer and be available for pickup and delivery via the CITIZENS GO app.
