ZFW Hospitality enters Mumbai to scale 15 brands with 50 dark kitchens

Business Standard ZFW Hospitality enters Mumbai to scale 15 brands with 50 dark kitchens

ZFW Hospitality, a hyperlocal expansion platform for F & B & D2C brands, is entering Mumbai with over 50 dark kitchens & fulfillment centers for brands to expand in the western region.

ZFW, which already partners with leading brands, has established a strong presence in Delhi-NCR with over 35 plus fulfillment centers. This expansion will help the platform scale up to the 100-store mark by August, before its Bangalore launch.

Commenting on the development, Madhav Kasturia, Founder of ZFW said, "Mumbai is a very strategic move for us, as it's the third-largest market in India for Food Delivery &

Hyperlocal E-commerce after Delhi & Bangalore. Most brands on their expansion trajectory prefer to cover the major metros as their first milestones before scaling to Tier-2s & Tier-3s as these are easy-to-access markets. We've been very selective in choosing the brands we support & currently have several on the waitlist for the Q3 cohort."

As part of its first cohort in Mumbai, ZFW will support the growth of 15 plus brands such as Keventers, Vadilal among others. As brands scale D2C capabilities & enter newer markets, supply chain and fulfillment costs often skyrocket. This is where ZFW steps in & assists with rapid expansion through its dark kitchens & fulfillment centers- without operational hassles & upfront costs. A brand can launch a new location in 5 days & service orders in less than 25 minutes.

Shaurya Prabhat, Chief Strategy Officer, Keventers said, "We have successfully piloted Keventers Ice Creamery with ZFW in Delhi. Madhav and team are highly committed, responsive & familiar with running and tracking KPIs related to dark kitchens & D2C operations. Keventers Ice Creamery launched in Mumbai in April & we are pleased to continue our expansion efforts with ZFW here."

ZFW evolved to a full-stack expansion platform in early 2020 before raising its pre-seed funding round from Mumbai Angels, Expert Dojo, & a clutch of super-angels. The platform is a welcome step towards taking the entire F & B space: one of the hardest-hit sectors since the beginning of the pandemic, back to pre-COVID numbers.

Prince Kuriakose, Launch Manager, ZFW said "Mumbai's a large market & launching ZFW in the region came with its own set of challenges- culture shift, outsider syndrome, & local guidelines. However, our launch team was prepared to persevere & setup the entire city for our partners. All moves on the ZFW chessboard are played keeping the interests of our brand partners first."

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