As everyday consumers buy fruit from the grocery store or pick some up in their office break room, the source of the fruit may not be entirely clear. KitcheNet, a Chicago-based produce delivery service, wants to change that.
Third place winner in University of Chicago's 2016 Social New Venture Challenge, KitcheNet provides companies with locally-sourced produce. The startup has landed corporate clients like DLA Piper and Invenergy as well as nonprofits like the Inner-City Muslim Action Network.
Originally launched as a weekly grocery delivery box service designed for families, the startup has pivoted to bringing fresh produce to businesses. The shift to corporate clients started with co-working spaces, said KitcheNet founder Trista Li. After hosting KitcheNet promotional events in co-working spaces, Li said she figured out that companies would be interested in paying for the service. Individuals asked Li about how to get KitcheNet’s produce delivery service at their firms, she said.
KticheNet uses algorithms to analyze consumer preferences and works with suppliers to provide subscribers with fruits that are available each week and will taste the best, Li said. The startup sources produce from suppliers like Growing Home and Windy City Harvest. The fruit is picked and shipped to customers in 12 to 24 hours, ensuring it will last a bit longer after it's received, Li said.
KitcheNet subscribers receive a note with instructions on how to cut certain fruits along with a tool to properly cut the produce, Li said. KitcheNet also sends an email to clients with information on why the company chose those specific fruits and solicits feedback from fruit providers, she said.
As KitcheNet is growing its user base among nonprofits and companies, the rest of the food delivery service sector, ranging from meal kit startups like Home Chef to food delivery companies like DoorDash, continues to boom. Though the company relies on its algorithms to streamline the supply chain process, it also takes the information gleaned throughout its operations to provide more transparency to consumers, Li said.
“When you think about a lot of other companies, they’re just trying to solve a logistic problem [and] they forget about that emotional piece,” Li said. “We wanted to keep that emotional piece...We need to make that care go further than just them finishing picking and that’s it. I want the end consumer to receive that information, too.”
