Philanthropic food business cooks up expansion plans
A BUSINESS which gives a philanthropic twist to online food delivery is expanding its operations into Yorkshire.
Chef Genie is an online food order and delivery service, which acts as an intermediary between independent takeaways and their customers but for every order taken, a donation is made to charity to feed a needy child.
The concept was initially trialed from headquarters in London and now the company has opened up a base in Crown House Business Centre in Leeds from which to launch its expansion into the regions.
The move has initially created six jobs to administer the Leeds launch, with more to follow as the northern branch develops. The company currently employs 30 staff in its London office with a remote team of 60 operatives promoting the service UK-wide.
At the last count, there were around 5,000 outlets signed up, with between 200 and 300 joining every week, said CEO Tooba Zafar.
She said: “Our charges are lower than the bigger, established services, but the main difference and the winner, in our opinion, is that every time someone orders a meal, we feed one hungry child. Customers can feel happy that, when they eat, a poor child is eating too.
“Following the success of the London trials, we’re now ready to expand nationwide. As well as the fact that I’m from Leeds myself, the new Crown House Business Centre provides us with an ideal northern base, with its ease of access to the motorway network and brilliant parking facilities.”
Historic Crown House, on Armley Road, was once the home of Leeds Forge, dating back to the 1800s, and opened its doors last year after a £1m refurbishment, carried out by new owners Malik House Business Centres.
Malik House director Sheraz Malik said: “We’re seeing some inspirational tenants moving in – some start-ups and others relocating into Yorkshire, bringing growth and jobs to the area. We’re particularly delighted to welcome an innovative company like Chef Genie, with an imaginative concept that has a philanthropic element at its heart.
“We look forward to supporting this growing enterprise as they expand to become a major player in their field.”
