FoodTech, FoodService? The startups driving the digital restaurant revolution in 2019

Long on the sidelines of the " FoodTech " wave of digital transformation,the foodservice sector is now taking its revenge thanks toplayers who are innovating at every stage of value creation.

Vegan steaks capable of fooling a carnivore(Beyond Meat), protein crakers made from insect flour(Jimini's), "nutritionally perfect" meals that fit in a bar(Feed) ... These initiatives - even if not unanimously acclaimed - are making a big splash and contributing to the dynamism of what is known as FoodTech. The term refers to all startups in the food sector (from production to the end consumer) that innovate in terms of products, distribution, market or business model (source: DigitalFoodLab). When it creates value in the restaurant (and not on the plate), technology feeds the more timid FoodService sector. This is the group of startups that are reinventing the restaurant business by streamlining the process at every stage of value creation, upstream and downstream, in the kitchen and in the dining room, at the order desk and at the checkout.A look at the startups that are streamlining the value chain for restaurants.

1. Upstream: marketplaces that facilitate product sourcing

For fruit and vegetables direct from the grower: Bottes en ville

• The promise? Order ultra-fresh produce picked on demand, for professionals only
• How does it work? 2-day delivery - you can order the day before for the day after
• The little extra? The products are local and in season, so you can adopt a more eco-responsible attitude.

For fish and seafood: Procsea

• The promise? Receive seafood directly from fishmongers and fishermen
• How does it work? After ordering online, delivery takes place within 24 hours.
• The little extra? Procsea allows you to track traceability (size, fishing zone and sub-zone, port of landing, fishing gear, quality and quantity available are indicated for each product offered online).

For Rungis fresh produce: Califrais

• The promise? Online selection and fast delivery of the best of Rungis, including seafood products direct from fishmongers and fishermen.
• How does it work? After ordering online, delivery takes place within 24 hours.
• The little extra? Orders are shared between nearby restaurants.

2. In theatres: staff management tools

To recruit team members: Brigad

• The promise? Recruit staff in 30 minutes
• How does it work? The restaurateur posts his job offer on the platform, and sets the hourly rate and duration of the shift. An SMS is sent to the corresponding profiles, and the interested parties are put in touch.
• The little extra? DSN etc.

To organize schedules: Skello

• The promise? Free up your time by making it easier to create your own schedule.
• How does it work? The specific characteristics and availability of each employee, as well as the needs of the restaurant, are entered and the allocation is made automatically.
• The little extra? The tool is integrated with payroll software

For easier HR management: Snasphift

• The promise? Simplify day-to-day HR management and build team loyalty
• How does it work? The restaurateur creates, duplicates and shares his teams' schedules in just a few clicks. Employees are notified in real time of any changes directly on the smartphone application, and can discuss and exchange shifts via instant messaging.
• The little extra? An ultra-easy-to-use interface and a dedicated support team. There's even a connected time clock that automatically exports employees' actual hours to the payroll software.

3. In the showroom: tools to streamline order-taking

To simplify ordering: totem kiosks (McDo) or tablets like Tabesto

• The promise? Reduce waiting time for order-taking and checkout, without having to add an additional checkout.
• How does it work? Terminals must be installed on the premises
• The little extra? Suggestions for additional sales
• The little minus? These installations involve a material investment cost that may slow down

For a smoother customer experience : BlackSheep

• The promise? Reduce order-taking waiting times by making it possible to place orders from a cell phone.
• How does it work? The restaurant owner uploads his menu to Blacksheep, which then places it online, allowing customers to order directly
• The little extra? Customers don't need to download an application; ordering is done via a web page.

Zelty makes cashiering and the dining room/kitchen relationship easier

• The promise? Communicate between kitchen and dining room to reduce ordering errors
• How does it work? Information is transmitted via iPad
• The little extra? Zelty offers a software suite that includes the cash register

4. In the kitchen: apps to prevent food waste

Optimize data sheets and procurement : FoodMeUp

• The promise? Centralize all your information and instantly obtain your costs and margins so you can make the right adjustments.
• How does it work? Once you have entered the information relating to your products, FoodMeUp can generate ingredient lists, optimize technical data sheets and enhance stock levels.
• The little extra? Users can order directly from their suppliers

To improve inventory management and reduce waste: Kitro

• The promise? Reduce food waste by better adjusting quantities
• How does it work? Visual recognition software installed on the garbage can analyses, measures and reports on everything that is thrown away in the restaurant before suggesting actions to be taken.
• The little extra? The restaurateur receives direct feedback on what his customers liked or disliked, so he can adapt his offering accordingly.

To combat food waste: Too Good to Go

• The promise? Sell unsold goods and reduce food waste
• How does it work? The restaurant owner must upload unsold items at reduced prices to the platform every day.
• The little extra? Users can even offer a menu to a homeless person.

5. Outside the restaurant: players to organize delivery

Uber Eats, Deliveroo... but can we still call them startups?

• The promise? Generate more sales without worrying about the operational complications of delivery.
• How does it work? One tablet per player is installed in the restaurant. The restaurant owner can approve or reject orders, and a delivery driver from the partner takes charge of picking up and delivering the order. The company takes care of customer acquisition (huge marketing and advertising budgets) and order delivery.
• The little extra? They allow us to reach a clientele who might not otherwise have visited our establishment.

6. Online: to acquire customers and maintain your e-reputation

Customer acquisition for a restaurant has changed: 80% of French people choose their establishment online. So it's essential to be visible and attractive wherever Internet users make their choice: that's Malou's job.

• The promise? Win customers online and let restaurateurs concentrate on their already busy business.
• How does it work? By identifying the most relevant keywords to generate traffic to the establishment, Malou references the restaurant wherever necessary, ensuring that it appears at the top of search results for its keywords. The referencing is complete to attract French-speaking customers, as well as foreigners visiting France, by working on local referencing according to the specificities of their country of origin.
• Plus(s) : real-time updating of information on all platforms where the restaurant exists, e-reputation management(responses to customer reviews), quantified performance analysis (number of views, clicks on itineraries, website, customer calls) and semantic analysis of customer feedback and formulation of recommendations.