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jalebi, the world’s only restaurant operating system that uses a proprietary inventory-first approach, has today announced its ready to invite restaurants in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to join its movement alongside 20 restaurants brands such as iconic Rukn Hashem, a felafel favorite, as well as contemporary fast-casual brand, Posh Burger.
jalebi is working to pilot and roll out at multiple locations across the Kingdom, enabling restaurants to streamline core operations while recovering lost financial value. These pioneering partnerships lead a strong portfolio of early adopting restaurants across the Gulf, particularly in the UAE and Oman, as well as Pakistan, that are working together to bring never before seen innovation to improve food cost margins.
The software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform's unique approach is intricately designed to reduce losses and waste while simplifying operations. By keeping inventory management as a core focus, jalebi not only claims it can save restaurants at least 5% on the cost of servicing each order but enables them to drastically improve their sustainability credentials and meet their ESG targets. The platform is designed for easy usability, making it accessible for restaurants of all sizes to seamlessly plug into their operations.
Poor inventory management results in a high food cost ratio, which is a key factor in why 60% of restaurants fail to make it past their first year; while 80% of surviving restaurants shutter before their fifth anniversary. These numbers are likely to be significantly higher since COVID-19 struck, as a result of the industry grappling with its effects.
Restaurants often focus too much on the exaggerated importance of point-of-sale (POS) and demand-generating systems, neglecting or even adding unsustainable pressure on back-of-house operations that are just as if not more critical to their success. Without proper inventory management, restaurants can experience as much as 17% in losses due to food waste and overstocking, making them highly susceptible to uncontrollable costs, lost revenue, and poor customer experience.
Jalebi solves this with its holistic and comprehensive technology; a fully integrated inventory to POS restaurant operations system, as well as an integration-friendly mindset through which it partners with other successful restaurant technology ventures to complete a restaurant's supply and demand side needs. With Jalebi, restaurants can improve their food cost through a data-driven inventory command center, securing their ambition of thriving in an industry that has always played a critical role in the business, social and cultural life of any flourishing economy.
Speaking on the Techstars-backed startup’s ambition for the region Zohare Haider, CEO & co-founder of Jalebi said: "No one, locally or regionally, has understood or addressed the real Achilles’ heel of the F&B industry like this before - let alone build a solution by working directly with restaurant operators to co-create a thoughtful technology-driven approach. By optimizing costs through a restaurant’s in-house supply chain, restaurants can predict, anticipate and master their real cost of food, through its movement across the whole operation. We are humbled and proud to partner with forward-thinking brands in the Saudi market.”
The food and beverage industry in Saudi Arabia is projected to grow from $14.16 billion in 2022 to $30.47 billion by 2029, and the Gulf is a rapidly growing market, worth an estimated $100 billion. Jalebi is well-positioned to meet the needs of this expanding industry, with its user-friendly platform and incredible growth in just under 12 months since pioneering this concept. Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 is a strategic plan that aims to diversify the economy and promote growth in various sectors, including the hospitality industry. The plan focuses on increasing domestic and international tourism and the development of a vibrant and diverse hospitality sector.
Assad Jabreen, Rukn Hashem’s Chief Executive said about the partnership: "Saudi Arabia's food and beverage industry is leading the MENA region, and we are proud to introduce Jalebi's innovative solution to this market as one of their first partners; truly a valuable asset to restaurants here. Jalebi's presence in the Saudi market aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and is a key step towards the growth of the hospitality industry, helping local restaurants of all shapes and sizes to improve their operations and drive growth."
Founded in February 2021 by Zohare Haider, Rizwan Ahmed Khan, and Mubashar Ehsan, Jalebi discovered its purpose while participating in the world-renowned startup accelerator, Techstars in 2022, delivered in partnership with MCIT and RAED Ventures. The company has grown remarkably fast, with a team boasting over 100 years of combined F&B experience, and is working with over 20 restaurant brands across the MENA region. Recently, in December 2022, the company was awarded the ‘The FoodTech Startup of the Year’ award by Entrepreneur magazine, highlighting the startup's impressive performance in just under 12 months, growing at over 100% month over month.
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