Restaurant supply chain software company ChefHero announced today it has officially rebranded as Notch and adjusted its business model to focus on digitizing the wholesale foodservice supply chain for both restaurants and distributors.
As ChefHero, the Toronto, Ontario-based company’s platform mainly focused on connecting restaurants with suppliers, providing what was essentially a marketplace for buyers. For a long time, the business was largely driven by restaurant food order volume. Needless to say, when the COVID-19 pandemic closed restaurant dining rooms and impacted overall restaurant sales, ChefHero’s business took a hit as well. In a recent interview, the company said its revenue in March 2020 decreased by 80 percent week-over-week.
In response, the company rebuilt its software platform with a new focus on both restaurants and food distributors, and rebranded the entire operation as Notch. The software is available via an iOS and Android app.
For restaurants, the Notch platform offers one central, digital place to view all suppliers, create inventory lists, and view details such as cutoff times and order minimums for each supplier. Via the Notch Market feature, businesses can also get deals on pricing, compare prices across different suppliers, online invoicing and bookkeeping, and use real-time inventory management. The platform integrates into a business’s existing accounting and inventory management systems.
Digitizing such tasks in the restaurant back of house can help businesses cut down on waste, whether it’s in the form of food or finances. Notch says that up to 40 percent of a restaurant’s revenue is spent on food, 12 percent of which goes to waste before it ever reaches the customer.
Meanwhile, the Notch Connect feature lets foodservice distributors build a digital storefront on the platform and connect with restaurants. Distributors can also manage invoices and collections, accept digital payments, and view all customers from one central dashboard.
Notch is currently available to customers in Toronto as well as in Chicago, Illinois and “major cities” in Texas. The company plans to launch in additional cities in North America in the coming months.
