Foodin was born at the end of 2020, in the midst of the second wave of Covid-19 that led various cities in the country to a second confinement. And in the midst of the home delivery boom, this startup saw an opportunity with a difference: the delivery of prepared meals through weekly plans, designed by chefs.
These meals are delivered in individual packages that can be refrigerated for up to 10 days, covered with a biodegradable film and ready for the microwave. The subscription plan is for between four and 12 meals, which has various categories: from three-course meals similar to those in fondas, healthy or plant-based dishes.
Santiago Hinojosa, co-founder of Foodin, considers that one of its differentials is the price, which can be cheaper compared to other services, while in this concept of meal kit delivery, although there are many competitors, they are usually local businesses, whose food cannot be stored for several days.
Here, the difference is the packaging process, which is carried out through a modified atmosphere, a machine that injects gases that do not oxidize and make the food decomposition process extremely slow. The co-founder of this startup says that with the bet on food they seek to make it a homemade experience.
“We have been here for a year and a half and we have double-digit growth month after month. We have increased 130% in income year over year. We are verifying that it is a product that people are looking for and that it is unique due to its recipes and price”, he declared in an interview with Expansión .
Hinojosa details that another of the differentiators of his proposal is that, when they arrive at the offices, they become a healthy option compared to fried foods that are usually sold around work centers.
“We have had excellent numbers. Our users start by asking for the package of four meals a week, but little by little they increase the number. Today our much more recurrent package is eight meals per person”, says Hinojosa. “This means that you first try the product and then upgrade your plans and consume more,” he adds.
The global meal kit delivery services market size was valued at $15.21 billion in 2021 and is expected to experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.4% from 2022 to 2030, Grand View Research projects. .
The analysis explains that the growing preference for home-cooked, chef-prepared food among millennials and centennials is a major factor contributing to market growth. “The growing preference for the product is due to the benefits of home-cooked meals, as they are cheaper compared to take-out and delivery services,” the analysis says.
The corporate bet
With the return to the offices, the startup saw an opportunity to offer its services to companies that do not have the facilities to have a kitchen, but do have a space with a refrigerator and a microwave oven.
The company’s plan is to explore this service, while they migrate to a new website, to which they will add a service to place orders a day before from two or three meals, without contracting one of the weekly packages.
“This service has been around for a few months and has had a super good response. Today we serve 10 companies”, explains Hinojosa, who details that the last client is a human resources software company that is in a We Work and that sought to give its employees this benefit, but could not hire traditional companies. that provide dining services.
Foodin also launched a pilot with a home delivery aggregator, where there is the possibility of ordering 15 minutes in advance, and although the price for each tray of food is higher, in one week they managed to place nearly 1,200 meals under this scheme. Meanwhile, they are preparing their line of soups to accompany the main dishes.
“We are very happy with the numbers and we believe that the project has a lot of potential and a future,” concludes Hinojosa.
