Effective supply chain management is crucial in the highly competitive hotel, restaurant, and catering industry. A seamless supply chain helps control costs, reduce food waste, and meet customer needs in a timely manner. For Egyptian entrepreneur Tamer Amer, who has spent 25 years managing establishments in the US and Egypt, the importance of a well-oiled supply chain cannot be overstated.
In 2022, Amer co-founded OneOrder with Karim Maurice to address the fragmented supply chains in the Middle East and Africa. “A key challenge that repeatedly surfaced was managing the balance between inventory levels and customer satisfaction,” says Amer, who is also the CEO of OneOrder. “Excessive inventory can significantly inflate costs, while insufficient stock risks compromising customer satisfaction and can adversely impact service quality.”
OneOrder aims to streamline the entire supply chain by providing a one-stop shop through strategically located warehouses. The company’s web and mobile platforms offer personalized virtual warehouses with online ordering and delivery of more than 700 stock-keeping units (SKUs). They also provide analytics to manage operations and financing options to fuel growth. “By consolidating all supplies into a single platform, our customers benefit from a streamlined process – receiving everything from one source results in just one delivery, one truck, one invoice, and one receiving point,” says Maurice, the company’s Chief Technology Officer. “This simplification significantly reduces the logistical complexity and time traditionally spent managing multiple suppliers each day.”
Market Growth and Economic Impact
Egypt’s food service market, which includes cafes, cloud kitchens, and full-service and quick-service restaurants, is expected to grow to $18.14 billion in 2029 from $9.04 billion in 2024, at a compound annual growth rate of 14.94%, according to Mordor Intelligence. In the GCC, industry growth is driven by factors such as a growing population, rising tourism, and evolving consumer preferences. The industry plays a crucial role in bolstering the region’s economy and supports the GCC’s broader objectives of reducing dependence on oil.
Technological Advancements and Efficiency
OneOrder’s advanced AI routing system determines the contents of each delivery lorry on a daily basis, allocating space for frozen, chilled, or dry goods to optimize packing efficiency and minimize wasted space and energy use. This technology has significantly decreased the manual labor needed for delivery planning and routing, enabling OneOrder to extend the deadline for next-day delivery orders. The company has already formed partnerships with more than 1,000 customers, including major hotel chains, restaurants, and catering businesses. The platform has processed over 100,000 orders, with an average monthly gross merchandise value exceeding $1 million.
Expansion and Future Plans
Most recently, OneOrder secured $16 million in a series-A funding round led by Delivery Hero Ventures, with participation from Norrsken22, Nclude, and A15. This investment follows earlier pre-seed and seed rounds totaling $4 million, setting the stage for the company’s ambitious expansion plans into the GCC region. With the series-A funding, OneOrder is focusing on expanding its presence in the GCC countries, starting with the UAE in autumn. The expansion will establish warehouse operations in the UAE, refine its warehouse management systems, and offer flexible payment terms and financing options to clients. Further expansion into Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia is planned within the next 18 to 24 months.
“In the next five years, I envision OneOrder becoming the leading supplier for the hospitality and restaurant industry not only in North Africa and the GCC, but also expanding our reach into Europe and Latin America,” says Amer. “Our goal is to redefine how restaurants and hotels globally manage their supply chains, making our platform an indispensable tool for the industry.”
Technological Integration and Empowerment
OneOrder aims to transform its technology into a sophisticated restaurant management solution, integrating with point-of-sale systems. This integration will allow for real-time profit and loss statements as well as projections. By offering these, OneOrder aims to empower the sector with more efficient and data-driven decision-making. The start-up’s vision is to revolutionize the hospitality and restaurant industry’s supply chains, enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and ultimately improving customer satisfaction on a global scale.
