Adam Armeland - Streamlining the Food Delivery and Takeout Sector Leveraging Innovative Technology

CEO of Kitchen Hub

CanadianSME sat down with Adam Armeland, CEO of Kitchen Hub, earlier this year to talk about the disruption he has brought to the food industry through his "Ghost Kitchen " concept. He shares the innovative idea behind the concept of "Ghost Kitchen " and how it is revolutionizing the takeout industry in Canada by making it more convenient and streamlined. We also talked about some of Adam ' s business models provided by Kitchen Hub for its restaurant partners and what his future plans are with the $10 million funding that he received. We also discussed how the global pandemic has severely affected North America ' s takeout sector and how his company expanded rapidly during such a difficult time. Together, we explore Adam ' s vision and how Kitchen Hub differentiates itself from other already existing " ghost kitchens " in Canada.

Adam Armeland

Streamlining the Food Delivery and Takeout Sector Leveraging Innovative Technology

Could you please share with us your innovative idea behind this '' ghost kitchen " concept?

The Kitchen Hub story began while I was on parental leave in 2018 — my way of ‘ cooking ’ for my family while I was also busy taking care of my daughter was picking up takeout from a local restaurant. During my many visits to our favorite local spot, I started to notice familiar faces all on the same mission. There was a steady flow of people just like me, along with delivery drivers, looking to pick up orders with nowhere to wait and no idea how long they would be doing so, especially as takeout felt like a secondary priority to dine-in.

It was on my regular takeout run that it hit me — Canadians are busy and looking for quality food provided quickly and conveniently, but also want a variety of choices to select from. While the take-out and delivery channel had been steadily growing over the last six or seven years through the implementation of third party apps like UberEats, Skip the Dishes and DoorDash along with the rise of off-premise cooking concepts, the primary focus of most restaurants was the in-person dining experience. Take-out is rarely prioritized and, as a result, often not profitable. There needed to be a solution for both restaurants and consumers.

Enter, Kitchen Hub. We opened our doors in January 2020, co-founded by myself (Adam Armeland, commercial lawyer specializing in corporate real estate); Mat Abramsky (real estate investor and startup expert) and Oren Borovitch (restaurant strategy and operations expert).

How is

"Kitchen Hub" going to transform the takeout industry in Canada?

Kitchen Hub is ushering in the next generation of takeout we are reimagining the takeout experience by focusing on our four key pillars: convenience of quick and easy takeout;

consistent high-quality; collection of curated offerings in both product selection and the channels they are available from; as well as care packaged into every order. Everything Kitchen Hub does prioritize the takeout experience — from the layout of our facilities to the customdesigned kitchen spaces and our proprietary technology (digital screen displaying order status across all third-party apps) and our owned channel KitchenHub.com, cloud data storage, backend analytics).

What are some of the various business models Kitchen Hub provides for its restaurant partners?

Kitchen Hub offers partnership opportunities at all levels from the grab-and-go visibility available to our consignment partners to fully-custom kitchens in a range of sizes for our restaurant partners.

The key difference between the business model that Kitchen Hub offers its restaurant partners and that of the existing standard of ‘ ghost kitchens ‘ is that our partners have their own kitchen on-premise, which is staffed by their teams. Kitchen Hub takes care of the front of house and operations so that the restaurants just focus on what they love – to cook! If you order Chef Nuit’ s Pad Thai, it’ s made in a PAI kitchen with PAI chefs. Our model allows the restaurant partners to pay 100% attention to delivery/takeout orders (as opposed to being split with dinein), resulting in an extremely high-quality product.

Could you please tell us some of the major restaurants you ' ve partnered with? With the CAD $10 million funding that you received, what would you like to do? What are your future plans?

PAI Northern Thai Kitchen Piano Piano Gusto 101 Impact Kitchen Victory Foods Chubby ’ s Jamaican Kitchen Cabano ’ s Comfort Food Chatime …to name a few Since opening its doors in 2020, Kitchen Hub continues to grow exponentially. With the $10M in funding raised from top-tier investors, we will be opening four locations in 2022 with a total of 50 planned in the next five years. Over the past few years, consumers have learned how to ‘ cook with their phones ’ , becoming accustomed to reaching for their phone to order their favorite dishes. Customers can browse through a wide selection of restaurants and quickly scan offerings from local restaurants at the touch of a screen.

By re-engineering the takeout model, we have been able to provide restaurants with a platform to successfully focus on takeout and provide an UNBELIEVABLE experience to customers at home. Our team will continue to focus on delivering hospitality at every stage of the takeout experience - from the moment the order to the delight and surprise they get when opening the package.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the takeout industry in North America?

The pandemic has made the takeout channel a key lifeline for restaurants while facing industry-wide shutdowns. Previously, takeout often felt like an afterthought, with dine-in being the primary focus.

Lockdown has illuminated this imbalance, but restaurants have subsequently discovered that the growth potential of the takeout channel is substantial, especially with such extensive support from third-party apps. Now, as restaurants navigate reopening once again, it can be quite challenging for staff to split their focus and excel at both dine-in and takeout simultaneously. By partnering with Kitchen Hub, restaurants are able to not only excel in both areas and expand with low overhead but also access new communities, building brand awareness and engaging a wider consumer base. Enjoying a quality meal at home has been, and forever will be, of the utmost importance. With the takeout channel continuing to evolve, providing exceptional takeout will continue to play a large role in the restaurant industry overall moving forward.

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TOP 15 IDEAS

Will 2022 be the year you finally build a profitable online business?

You might have thought about it every year. You have been going through innumerable online business ideas in your mind and imagining what your life is going to be if you could finally quit your job and start making money on the Internet.

You can travel the world with ease, build a comfortable lifestyle for yourself as well as your family, and accomplish financial liberty. You could finally get away from the constraints of working 9 to 5 and take complete ownership of your time.

But what happens then? You usually spend time contemplating the ideas but eventually return to your comfort zone. The stable income of your secure job, the peace of having someone else tell you what to do each day (rather than trying to decipher from the ground up), and the consistent schedule.

You say to yourself,

"You know what? This year is a bit too tough, I will start this online business the following year. " But let us say that the "following year " never comes.

In this blog, we are here to tell you that the year 2022 is the year to begin your online business. There are more opportunities than ever before, and you must take advantage of them. In order to help you get started, we are going to share the top 15 online business ideas. Read them through, see which one of them is right for you and start your research work.

15 Robust Online Business Ideas

Are you looking for some fantastic online business ideas? Browse the list below to identify the most profitable business opportunity for you.

Launch a Dropshipping Small Business

Do you believe you require a warehouse full of merchandise to manage your own business? Consider again! Dropshipping is an excellent option to launch a business on a shoestring budget. You may get started quickly by acquiring a pre-existing product from a source and having them handle things like packing and fulfilment.

This procedure allows you to avoid many of the roadblocks that could otherwise prevent you from launching your own firm. More significantly, it reduces the danger of discovering that your product has no market after placing a large order with a supplier or manufacturer.

Graphic designers, writers, and developers may use their skills to create a low-cost business. You 'll be able to put your abilities to work as a freelancer by assisting folks all around the world with their tasks (while generating money yourself, of course).

Freelancing does not entail committing to month-long projects that consume your leisure time. You may simply take on bite-sized chores that fit with your schedule. Try freelance markets like Fiverr and Upwork to locate people who need your assistance.

Start Your Clothing Line

You may start your own clothing firm if you have some designs in mind and a little time on your hands.

If you already have a Shopify store, you may use Printful, Printify, or a comparable product-sourcing platform to launch your own apparel line. Each immediately connects your store to clothes printers and manufacturers. They also manage every stage of the retail fulfilment process for you, allowing you to develop and distribute a diverse assortment of items straight away.

Sell Your Art Online

Whether you are a musician, photographer, or painter, there are several online business ideas and methods to convert your newest work into a source of cash with a professionally designed eCommerce website.

If you excel in photography or painting you may sell your work as prints, canvases, and framed posters through Printify or Printful. This is an excellent method to transform your artwork into something physical that people can take home and include in their surroundings. Do you enjoy music? You may sell your songs, beats, samples, etc. as digital downloads.

Take a peek at The Drum Broker, the world' s largest online drum sample company. With the use of applications such as FetchApp, it developed a sustainable and profitable small business model with the aid of applications like ShipStation and FetchApp.

Teach an Online Course

Teaching an online course is a low-cost internet business opportunity that may provide passive revenue. All you have to do is create a video tutorial of a subject you Although it takes time to create a successful, highvalue video lesson series, you will earn money on an ongoing basis as people join your course.

Begin by brainstorming a topic that you are knowledgeable enough about to teach someone how to accomplish from scratch. This might be anything from music production to web development to social media marketing.

Publish Your Own Book

It' s okay to say it: you

' ve considered writing and publishing your own book someday. While seeing your name on a list of best-sellers may appear to be a pipe dream, it' s actually not that far-fetched.

There are currently several possibilities for effective self-publishing of your work, whether it be a science-fiction novel, a marketing guide, or a children ' s picture book. These options include publishing your work as an ebook using the Digital Downloads app or using on-demand printing providers such as CreateSpace and Blurb.

Install the Digital Downloads software to sell ebooks through your online store, and you 'll be able to stock digital files as items right away. Your ebooks will be distributed to your consumers through direct download or email when they have been purchased.

If you decide to sell physical copies of your book, all you have to do is place an order with CreateSpace or Blurb anytime someone buys it. They will custom print your book and manage all aspects of storage and fulfilment.

Since its start, blogging has gone a long way. What started as a virtual journal has evolved into a marketing and even monetization tool.

A blog is a terrific internet business concept that you can start from home, whether you generate money by publishing sponsored pieces, hosting third-party adverts, or selling your items.

The secret to launching a successful blog is to concentrate on developing an engaged, dedicated readership. When you begin with an audience-centric strategy, you will build a community of people who trust you. And after you ' ve earned trust, you can start driving revenue.

That' s how Mr. Money Mustache got his successful personal finance blog off to a good start. What started as a movement has evolved into a thriving company with national media coverage.

Launch a Podcast

Consider recording your own voice for a podcast if you enjoy the sound of your voice. Podcasts, like starting a blog, are a terrific home business idea with various revenue opportunities.

' s everything you 'll need to get started with your

podcast:

A top-notch microphone Software for audio recording Software for recording phone calls

Consider inviting renowned personalities to be guests on your podcast to help market it. Encourage listeners to post reviews and spread the word about your podcast to their friends and family.

Become a Virtual Assistant

Are you a super-organized person who enjoys working behind the scenes? If so, you might be an ideal candidate for starting a virtual assistant (VA) firm.

A virtual assistant (VA) assists entrepreneurs, corporations, and executives in organizing their personal and professional life. There is a wide range of responsibilities, from basic marketing management to appointment scheduling and all in between. And it' s all done online.

Become an Affiliate Marketer

Affiliate marketing is when you advocate a product or service to your email list, website, or other channels by promoting it on a blog or social media. Each time someone converts using your unique referral link or code, you receive a commission.

Choose an affiliate program that is a good fit for your passions, personal brand, and target audience. Examples include Affiliate Future, FlexOffers, and ShareASale. Amazon offers its own affiliate program, and the Shopify Affiliate Program is another option.

Begin sharing once you

' ve joined up. Create social media postings, blog articles, emails, and other content extolling the virtues of the product or service you ' re advertising. Don 't bombard your viewers with advertisements; otherwise, you risk coming out as inauthentic or spammy.

Become a Social Media Manager

Managing and expanding social media accounts effectively is a talent. Consider becoming a social media manager or a brand consultant if you have the skills.

You would be in charge of a company

' s online social presence, establishing its social marketing strategy, administering campaigns, and other relevant activities. It' s a great online company concept with lots of demand, with jobs in social media anticipated to expand by 10% by 2030, and it doesn 't require a lot of starting cash to get started.

Build a website, your own social media channels (create them and use them as social proof to acquire clients), as well as a payment processing system to get started. As you get more expertise, you will be able to cater to a broader range of social media demands, such as outreach, profile growth, and brand sponsorship management.

Subscription boxes are themed shipments including a variety of merchandise. Subscription boxes are available in almost every sector, from craft snacks to meal-prep kits to fitness items to beauty and fitness items. You may create subscription boxes based on almost any theme you like.

When you curate subscription boxes, you collaborate with artisans and companies to acquire and resell their items as part of a packaged offering. Consumers often expect to be surprised by what' s in the box, while there are some (such as meal prep kits) where the customer chooses what they get.

Invest in Real Estate

It may sound intimidating at first, but investing in real estate isn 't difficult to get started if you do your homework. Depending on the industry, obtaining alternatives such as accessible FHA loans might be the jumpstart you require to assure a cash-flowing firm from the outset.

You don

't have to worry about stocking goods or supply chain issues with real estate. You may instead scout properties from the comfort of your own couch. There are initial fees and purchasing requirements to consider, but loans are available to assist cover them.

The cash flow generated by your first property can be re-invested in the purchase of your next. If you do this enough times, you 'll be able to get some big income. Knowing more than a single language might provide you with financial benefits. With a laptop and good internet connectivity, you may be well on your way to launching an online translation business. The translation sector is thriving, having more than doubled in size in the previous decade.

You may use your expertise as a translator to translate material, résumés, meetings, online conferences, and books. As you gain experience, you can charge by the hour or by the project. In any case, the basic truth is that after you obtain your first few clients, a translation business may be both flexible and profitable.

Create Handmade Goods

Selling handcrafted things is a terrific internet business idea if you ' re exceptionally crafty. One business concept is to monetize your creative abilities and sell things online, whether you produce jewellery, picture frames, or furniture.

While you can utilize sites like Etsy and Craigslist, having your own internet business gives you more control and makes tracking and fulfilling orders easier.

The Key Takeaway

If you've been considering beginning an online business in 2022, now is the time to get out there and start your new venture in your spare time. You don't have to put everything on the line. Begin with a part-time side business and work your way up. Alternatively, keep things simple. The benefit of learning how to establish a business online is that you have total control over the process.