Following the launch of its first tech-enabled off-site cloud kitchen in Hyderabad on Wednesday, French firm Sodexo India plans to launch more kitchens in Bengaluru, Pune and NCR.
The kitchen has a capacity to produce 25,000 meals per day, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, quick bites and snacks, which will be delivered in temperature-controlled vehicles to cater to all work shift timings.
The company said it is targeting companies in the ed-tech, pharma and BFSI segments. It will soon start operations in Bengaluru and Pune, even as it plans to achieve 10% of its food revenue from off-site kitchens by 2025, Sambit Sahu, MD, Sodexo India told FE. “Our aim is to produce 60,000 meals by 2025,” Sahu said, adding that the meals are priced moderately high, as it is backed by celebrity chefs with key emphasis on quality.
“Most commercial buildings do not have licenses to cook for a huge employee base. Our master kitchen will empower corporates lacking kitchen infrastructure by being a one-point solution, eliminating administrative challenges with streamlined operations at a competitive pricing,”he said.
He added that the concept is popular globally and that the company intends to tap into its existing onsite clientele. It will also tap into unexplored clientele.
Currently, food revenues come from the onsite kitchen business. Talking about its business potential, Sahu said “Food is 50% of our total revenues. We are expecting 10% of the total food revenues to come from multi-client off-site kitchens by 2025.”
Revenues in FY23 stood at `2,700 crore, of which 50% comes from food services and the balance from facilities management services. Sodexo in India has two business entities – Onsite Services and Benefits & Rewards Services (now Pluxee). The company entered India in 1997 and has over 500 corporate clients.