Virtual kitchens: A new business model in the foodservice industry

• Autor(a) principal: Gouveia, Carlota de Albuquerque
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10071/23765
• topic: Virtual kitchens; Restaurants; Online food delivery; Business model; Food supply chain; UTAUT; Cozinhas virtuais; Restaurante -- Restaurant; Entrega online de alimentos; Modelos de negócio; Cadeia de abastecimento alimentar

Over the last years, restaurants have been forced to adapt to new circumstances. Changing eating trends, technological advancements and fierce competition made it harder for some to stay afloat. On top of that, a global pandemic compelled everyone to shut their doors overnight, posing extra pressure on the sector. The latest consumer trend indicates strong affluence to online food delivery services and many restaurants are struggling to respond to this shift and evolve accordingly. This pedagogical case study focuses on a business model that emerged to support restaurants to optimise off-premise operations and thrive in the digital space, known as Virtual Kitchens. As the object of study, it was chosen the start-up Kitch, one of the first companies to introduce the concept in Portugal. Thus, this paper allows to verify how innovative businesses models can arise on long-established markets and have a great impact on the evolution of supply chains. It also enables to verify the potential of VKs in the Portuguese context through the use of a Dynamic SWOT and an adapted statistical model (UTAUT). To collect the necessary data, the research combined a questionnaire to Portuguese restaurateurs (n=55), an interview with Kitch’s Product Manager and desk research. The present case is expected to be a useful tool for students and companies attracted to emerging market areas, especially in the hospitality scope, providing theoretical and practical approaches to uncover new value through unforeseen partnerships and innovative business models that defy the ordinary to fit the latest market needs.