Choco, a major player in the fight against wasteful consumption
It's impossible to be a player on the culinary scene without thinking about its impact, without wanting to fight against food waste. On this September 29, World Anti-Waste Day, we're shining the spotlight on a company whose mission is to fight this battle every day. Choco works closely with foodservice professionals with its revolutionary order management application. Here's how it works.
Although the chef is often seen as an artist, he is above all a man of orchestra. He cooks, of course, but he must also manage a team, be present with his customers and... manage his orders. At the end of the shift, the chef is exhausted, phone in one hand, pen in the other. On a day-to-day basis, placing orders with suppliers is time-consuming, especially as the methods used have become obsolete and error-prone (we're still talking about faxes!). Although the subject of order management is less fashionable than that of short circuits and product sourcing, its impact is very real. Kilos of products can be wasted, lost or thrown away.
Three tech-savvy entrepreneurs, Daniel Khachab, Julian Hammer and Grégoire Ambroselli, came up with the idea of creating, in 2018, an order management app dedicated to the catering trades with one ambition: To reduce food waste on a global scale by digitizing the agri-food supply chain. The goal is ambitious, but essential for the environment.
A tool to combat waste and save time for chefs
The application brings together all the restaurant's team members, suppliers and producers in a single collaborative messaging system. The ordering chain is thus simplified, efficient and fast. As a result, errors are minimized, orders can be adjusted down to the gram, and you can be as close as possible to your needs. Many restaurants have already adopted Choco, from multi-cuisine restaurants to snack bars. Nicolas Brenelière, head chef at the Paradis Latin in Paris, was immediately won over: "It's simple, I manage 652 covers, and since I've been using Choco for supplies, I've saved seven hours a week - it's enormous! What's more, the tool is constantly evolving: the Choco team is very attentive to user needs. I asked them to add the purchase price of products, and they did."
Choco saves the supplier - and the producer - time by automating order entry and, again, considerably reducing errors. "With Choco, our customers place orders more regularly. We don't have to keep reminding them, which saves us time!"explains the president of Maison Savary, Beauvais. Producers can also easily showcase seasonal products, make the most of their stocks, and thus limit losses.
The results are tangible, and the impact impressive. A survey shows that Choco saves 1.28 kg of food waste per week per restaurant, and frees up an average of 4 hours of work per week per team. Today, more than 10,000 suppliers and 15,000 restaurateurs use Choco on a daily basis - just do the math to realize the power of this solution.
A European unicorn
The three entrepreneurs are well on the way to succeeding in their ambitious gamble and, by supporting both restaurateurs and suppliers, becoming one of the most effective players in the fight against food waste. The start-up, valued at 1.2 billion euros in April 2022, has entered the exclusive circle of European unicorns just four years after its creation. To date, the company has raised 184.5 million euros from investors including Left Lane Capital, Insight Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners and Coatue Management. Based in the heart of Paris, Choco now employs over 400 people worldwide, with operations in France, Belgium, the United States, Spain and Austria.
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