H&C News meets with suppliers regularly to keep up to date with the latest product and service innovations, aiming to get the inside track on what companies offer to the market and how it is delivered.
This week, we met with Tarryn Gorre, Co-founder of Kafoodle at their offices in Clerkenwell, London to gain a better understanding of the business.
Kafoodle provides hospitality businesses throughout the UK and Europe with a state-of-the-art software solution. Specialising in food allergens and nutrition as well as a consumer app and more. Our packages are flexible to accommodate individual requirements for outlets and what they value. We are constantly evolving Kafoodle to create the perfect solution for the hospitality industry.
Having spent over a decade in hospitality what was the driver that made you change direction, to work within a technology space?
To be honest I don’t feel like I work in technology! My business partner, Kim Antoniou, is the software expert and basically Kafoodle all started after an animated conversation between us about how it would be great for the hospitality industry to have a better understanding and be able to embrace modern day technology to automate what are currently long winded procedures.
After years of battling within venues to easily connect back of house and front of house and all the different departments within the business I decided to do something about it, well actually it was ‘tech savvy’ Kim that told me to stop complaining and just fix it!
At the time I felt that much of what we did within the hospitality sector was manual and that it would save both time and money for the industry if we could look at easily automating all the different daily tasks. Whilst there were different systems to do different aspects, I thought it would be great to be able to combine everything and simplify it. Thus Kafoodle was born.
Tell us what exactly is Kafoodle and what does it do?
Kafoodle Kitchen is a cloud based software solution that is incredibly easy to use. It allows restaurants, bars, pubs basically all food outlets the ability to save time and money by automating their menus and reporting on allergen and nutritional content as well as much more. With a built-in ingredients database, which is growing daily, online support and consumer marketing modules, it really is a product I believe in. We’ve designed it from the industry incorporating a variety of different ideas and requirements from all types of outlets. Most importantly we have acknowledged the current demand to stay compliant with the food legislation as well as being able to follow consumer trends, such as healthy eating.
With this we have created a way for establishments to use the information to increase their marketing potential directly to their customers and on social media.
Why now?
Whilst we have been building on this idea for a while by creating apps for different outlets and helping some restaurants and bars automate elements of their business to help them increase turnover – the final sign was when clients started to complain and generally worry about how they would be affected by the new food allergen legislation and their desire for clarification around it. I think that was the point when we thought okay lets do this – we can really help businesses manage this aspect and more.
What makes you different?
We started as an allergen software solution as compliance and the food legislation was our most important factor at the beginning. We are very lucky to have excellent legal support from Paris Smith LLP as this was what most of our clients found to be most intimidating. We’ve also had the British Hospitality Association partner with us, which is very exciting as they really believe in what we are doing. I think having a company which has strengths in both the industry and software is incredibly beneficial. Oh, and we ask customers what they want all the time, which means we constantly evolve but also are guided by what people need and would like.
What is your aim?
Our aim or rather “idealistic dream” is to create a cost-effective user friendly system that is designed from the industry out. The ultimate goal is to develop one hospitality solution for all the industry needs: from allergen legislation to HR records. We aim to automate as much as possible of outlets’ procedures by working with them and constantly evolving what we already do. With a consumer app and being able to connect all departments this can only increase revenue for small and large businesses alike. It will also allow smaller business to easily get a grasp on how to market them and save money allowing them to compete with larger chains who have more resources.
Kim and I are also passionate about being able to connect establishments and diners allowing guests more choice of where and how to eat which will encourage customers with allergies or healthy eating habits to dine out more which will hopefully increase footfall to businesses.
Kim’s reason for the consumer side is very personal with her husband having a severe sesame allergy and so she is incredibly driven to create a safer eating experience for everyone.
We really do hope to revolutionise the industry – It would be great for hospitality businesses to have complete faith in technology and be able to seamlessly connect not only all departments within their business but also their outlets to diners and drinkers.
H & C News comment
We enjoyed talking to Kafoodle who are clearly passionate about what they do. They have found a way for businesses and consumers to connect, delivering a safer and more enjoyable dining experience for everyone. We look forward to more news from Kafoodle as they develop their plans for a system that looks after all hospitality industry needs.
Tarryn Gorre, Co-founder of KafoodleFor more information on Kafoodle please contact our friendly team.
Tel: 020 73956880
E‐mail: info@kafoodle.com
Website: www.kafoodle.com
Twitter: @kafoodlekitchen
Facebook: kafoodlekitchen
