What made this startup deliver 5 star food at the comfort of home
What made this startup deliver 5 star food at the comfort of home

What was the whole idea starting FooDrool?

The whole idea behind FooDrool is to give high quality food from selected high-end restaurants and hotels. Initially, 5 star hotels couldn't digest the idea of their food getting delivered from their properties. It was also very difficult for us to convince them as we were not from the specific industry background. There are so many delivery places and apps that are delivering food which are not at all in par with the quality. My own experience of receiving wrong food at around 2 am led to the beginning of FooDrool.

How was the investment done? Are there any plans to raise funds?

We started our journey with a modest capital of Rs 40 Lakhs. We are a bootstrap venture till date but yes, FooDrool is looking for funding.

Since, this is first of its kind concept where you have partnered with 5 star restaurants to deliver food. How difficult it was to get them on board?

We approached all 5-star hotels in Delhi. They were unable to digest the fact they would deliver food like any other restaurants in town. Initially we did a lot of meetings with almost every hotel in the city and it was very difficult for us to convince them to open up to the idea of delivering food from their properties. Also, being new in this industry they were reluctant on trusting us. But with time, things started taking shape into our vision.

5 star dining is all about experience. How are you bridging that gap in the delivery model?

There is no doubt that 5 star restaurants provide you a lavish experience with the quality of the food which is impeccable. They have a very loyal customer base who does want to have the same food at their home as well. Due to the traffic scene or busy schedule of work, people are sometimes reluctant to dress up and travel till that place; they want food at the comfort of their home. That’s how; we are providing the luscious food from their favourite restaurants at the comfort of their place.

Who are some of your restaurant partners? And, what are the average order you get and the ticket size?

We are partnered with high end restaurants of Delhi NCR namely Vivanta By Taj, Jaypee Siddharth, Crowne Plaza- Rohini, The Lalit, Fio, Punjab Grill, Dhaba By Claridges amongst others. Our average bill or order has to be around Rs 1,500.

As you are delivering food up to a radius of 12 kilometres, unlike other food delivery companies, which are restricted to just 5 to 7 kilometers. How is the packaging done so that the food quality doesn’t get spoilt?

The packaging is done by the respective hotel/restaurant. We want the branding of restaurant to be there on the packaging. Also, we check the packing material used by the restaurant before so that it meets the standard.

To keep the food fresh and warm for a delivery up to 12 kms, we have imported delivery bags which have built-in heaters in them. This ensures that when the food reaches to the customer, it is still warm and the quality is maintained.

How many delivery boys are there in your network and how do you bring them on board?

We have a network of 25-30 delivery boys. Before getting them on board, we do our reference checks and police verifications. We ensure that the delivery boys are polite and well mannered.

They are then trained on how to use our delivery boy application and how to behave with the customers. They are then equipped with delivery bags and smartphones which help them in deliveries.

In terms of trends, What is your view happening in 2017?

The start of 2017 has been slow due to demonetization. But we expect that in next 2-3 months as things get normal, we will see a good uptrend in food delivery. Also, moving to digital payments will be good for our business.

What is your plan expanding FooDrool to other cities?

Yes, the next city we are planning to expand is in Mumbai by September 2017. Later, we would like to explore the market of Bangalore and Kolkata. 

 
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