talabat’s first cloud kitchen opens in Abu Dhabi: Here’s where the future of the food industry is heading

The recently launched cloud kitchen is already housing Dunkin, Din Tai Fung, Wing Stop, Galito’s and Baskin Robbins as well as local favorites like Malak Al Tawook, Firefly Burgers and Freez

talabat has enforced strict safety measures during the pandemic.

talabat, the leading food and grocery delivery platform in the Middle East, has officially opened its very first cloud kitchen concept in Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa City. Spearheaded with its German parent company, Delivery Hero, the new business model is engineered to allow F&B concepts to operate at a much lower cost in comparison to traditional brick and mortar restaurants. The process of fulfilling orders is revamped to increase efficiency in preparation time, allowing a delivery time to customers in under 30 minutes.

Having opened its doors this month, the recently launched cloud kitchen is already housing several brands such as Dunkin, Din Tai Fung, Wing Stop, Galito’s & Baskin Robbins as well as local favourites like Malak Al Tawook, Firefly Burgers and Freez, among others.

Commenting on talabat's cloud kitchen benefits, Joe Frem, VP of Cloud Kitchens and Concepts at talabat, said: "We are thrilled to have opened our first cloud kitchen in the region and believe this is a great chance for our restaurant partners to develop and advance their operations in a cost-friendly manner. At talabat, we care immensely about the development of our restaurant partners and now, with the launch of the first talabat cloud kitchen in the UAE, they have access to fully equipped spaces with the advanced resources they require to perform more efficiently. By providing them with state of the art tech systems to fully optimise functions throughout their operations, we are able to further support them and create more opportunities for growth."

In addition to increased performance levels, sustainability is a main pillar of talabat’s cloud kitchen operations. By opting for high-tech energy management systems, the online food delivery platform is able to reduce overall energy consumption by up to 30 per cent. talabat is also working closely with a number of waste management companies with the goal to recycle 100 per cent of the utilised resources such as used cooking oil, paper cartons and plastics. Furthermore, all paper bags, cups and garbage bags provided by talabat’s cloud kitchens are biodegradable and environmentally friendly.

To enhance its sustainability measures, talabat starts with measuring waste. The cloud kitchen currently uses a tracking system that enables talabat to track, control, and ultimately reduce the overall waste on-site. Frem says: "Circular economy is on the rise with the UAE strategically positioning itself to be a leader on this front. We at talabat are no different. In our cloud kitchen, we have put in place a business model that reinforces the reduction of food waste amongst our restaurant partners. This is just the start, and we are eager to leverage our global best practices from Delivery Hero and incorporate them locally."

When it comes to Covid-19, talabat takes the safety of partners, customers and riders very seriously. To ensure its customers experience a certain level of normalcy through their platform and help restaurants to stay operational during the pandemic, talabat enforced the strictest measures of safety, such as Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for all riders, contactless delivery and cashless tipping. Customers were able to - and still - receive their favourite meals and groceries safely, and conveniently from the comfort of their home, as talabat was the first to introduce key measures during the first months of Covid-19 and continues to apply them.

“Safety is our greatest priority at talabat,” Frem added. “We have stringent measures in place throughout every step of the journey: from the moment the order is placed, right up until it is prepared, packaged and delivered to customers. We have implemented highly advanced technology such as facial recognition instead of finger scanners, temperature monitoring devices for operating staff, and data loggers to prevent the transmission of Covid-19.”

This latest facility offers talabat an opportunity to further cement its position in the delivery market, while continuing to care for its restaurant partners by providing them with more opportunities in terms of growth and advancement. talabat will be launching more cloud kitchens across the UAE in 2021, to help partners expand further, and faster.