THE MAN AND MACHINERY HELPING MALAYSIAN RESTOS CROSS THE COVID CURRENT

Restaurant deliveries are the unsung heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike healthcare workers, they may have neither murals drawn nor TV specials held in their honor, but they are without a doubt one of the main drivers in the food and beverage industry having managed to survive - and even thrive - in a time of uncertainty.

As doctors and nurses ensure the healing of our loved ones, being online has healed hunger despite the myriad of hurdles wrought by coronavirus restrictions. In the process, it has also saved and generated livelihood when unemployment has been widespread.

The reason that many businesses have folded is that relying on walk-ins alone won't cut it anymore these days. But of course, going online comes with its own set of menu limitations, depending on the type of food a restaurant makes. And because of this, a lot of kitchen equipment goes unused or under-utilized.

That's where eatwhatnxt, a company that helps restaurants make money from their under-utilized kitchen equipment, helmed by Malaysian entrepreneur Vincent Lua, comes in, reports Daniel Martinus of Mashable SE Asia.

Touted as a "quasi-franchise business concept" that allows restaurants to up-cycle the use of their kitchen equipment, its parent company, Cravito Group, is behind MyeongDong Topokki – perhaps one of the most well-known Korean food franchises in Malaysia.

So when it comes to making money in the food and beverage industry, it's safe to say that eatwhatnxt comes from a tried-and-tested background.

What eatwhatnxt aims to do with Malaysian restaurants is help them boost income by converting their under-utilized kitchen equipment for use in 'virtual restaurants'. They only exist online on food delivery platforms, without having to display any physical storefronts and seating.

This means that existing kitchen equipment can be used in tandem with a new brand name, serving food that's different from what the restaurant normally offers – wholly online.

But having to choose from a bunch of brands that you're unfamiliar with can be a little daunting, especially when all that matters right now is being able to make money. According to Lua, Cravito Group employs the use of hard data gathered from MyeongDong Topokki outlets to gauge the kind of dishes a respective restaurant should offer, depending on their location.

“Through the data we’ve collected from MyeongDong Topokki, we can suggest the right brand for your new virtual restaurant and the best-selling item in your specific region/area," says Lua.

Its mechanics are such that the team at eatwhatnxt will help eager restaurant operators decide which virtual brands to onboard, depending on the level of equipment that's readily available in the kitchen. Hiring more staff will also be unnecessary since existing personnel will be provided training to manage the new virtual restaurant.

Most importantly, in terms of revenue, restaurants can expect to make an additional RM1,000 to RM3,000 a day per onboarded brand. In the grand scheme of things, restaurants can add another stream of income, without the need for additional capital. Everything is run from within the same kitchen, operated with the same number of staff while paying the same rental fee.

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