The challenge
Launched in early March 2020, the Brussels start-up Foodiz was the first online food market for companies in Belgium.
They are reinventing corporate catering & want to "digitize the canteen" with a healthy & sustainable approach. "Digitizing the canteen" refers to Foodiz's decision to create its own virtual restaurants instead of working with traditional restaurants.
This is called the "Dark kitchen" concept. A concept in which everything is produced in their own kitchen with different cooking styles & where the focus is exclusively on delivery with no seating capacity for in-house diners or walk-ins. Preparing the food once an order comes in through the delivery app or an online ordering system.
In addition to overcoming the challenges posed by COVID-19, Foodiz swiftly adapted to the aftermath of the pandemic, specifically the rise of remote work. To cater to everyone's preferences, Foodiz's platform now offers a wide array of services, including a digital canteen, an online catering service for meetings, seminars & events, as well as a B2C delivery service of "Food Boxes", including BBQ-packs, etc...
The challenge for Nightborn was to provide Foodiz with internal operational tools to manage their orders in a highly efficient manner, as well as web & mobile applications for its digital canteen.
The solution
You work better when your stomach is full of joy
To bring this vision to life, we embarked on a comprehensive process, starting from scratch. We began by carefully analyzing Foodiz's business needs & translating them into a well-structured database schema.
In the initial phase, we created the first API using C# & .NET, which served Foodiz seamlessly for two years. However, as the platform experienced rapid growth, we recognized the need for a more robust backend language. Consequently, we made the decision to migrate to Golang & successfully transformed the existing C# API into a new, powerful Golang API.
For the web app, we leveraged the capabilities of React, a popular JavaScript library known for its efficiency & flexibility. As for the mobile app, we utilized Capacitor, built on top of React, to deliver a rich & immersive experience across different mobile platforms.
In addition to the customer-facing applications, we also developed the Foodiz Back-Office using React. This tool empowers the Foodiz team to efficiently manage operations, seamlessly process orders & ensure smooth coordination within the organization.
To enhance the visual appeal and user interface of the Foodiz apps, we employed TailwindJs, a utility-first CSS framework. Its extensive set of pre-built components & utilities allowed us to rapidly develop a visually stunning and responsive interface, tailored to Foodiz's brand identity.
We understand the importance of data-driven decision-making & the need for comprehensive analytics. Therefore, we integrated Segment & Klaviyo into the Foodiz ecosystem, enabling the collection & analysis of valuable user insights, as well as enabling the creation of automated email flows, streamlining communication with customers. This integration equips Foodiz with the tools to better understand its customer base, optimize its marketing strategies & drive business growth.
App performance & stability are paramount to providing a seamless user experience. For this reason, we incorporated Sentry, a powerful error-tracking & monitoring tool. Sentry ensures that any issues or errors are promptly detected, allowing Foodiz to proactively address them and deliver a reliable application to its users.
Final words
In summary, our end-to-end involvement in the design & development of the Foodiz mobile & web application, along with the creation of a comprehensive back-office tool, demonstrates our commitment to delivering tailored solutions that meet our client's specific needs.
Throughout the journey, significant progress has been made, implementing numerous updates & features. We're immensely grateful for this long-term partnership & eagerly look forward to many more fruitful years. 💚
Delighted to see our partners rocking the online food market 🤘
💡 Want to learn more about the journey behind Foodiz? Hear directly from Thibault Vanhaelen, COO & Co-Founder, in this insightful interview: Read more.