CHICAGO — ChefHero — a Toronto-based online marketplace that enables restaurants to purchase wholesale produce, meats, artisanal foods and supplies — has officially launched its first U.S. location in Chicago. The company secured $12.6 million in funding from investors, including Chicago’s Math Venture Partners.
ChefHero provides smaller chains and individually owned establishments access to hundreds of local producers. Users of the free ChefHero app also benefit from significant savings with group buying power otherwise not available to them and the ability to compare and monitor pricing in real time. The app also allows for easy order tracking.
ChefHero allows food suppliers to reduce — or entirely eliminate — overhead costs associated with paying a front-line sales team. The app also acts as a gateway to new customers and increases earning potential. Suppliers receive one consolidated on-time payment from ChefHero on behalf of customers so they won’t have to chase payments from individual accounts. Overstock is actively promoted to prospective customers through the platform in real time and can be unloaded quickly.
“Keeping a food-supply business running has a lot of moving parts, including chasing down new restaurant clients and handling billings,” says Justin Apuli, manager, ChefHero Chicago. “Suppliers can find a lot of new business on ChefHero — plus we take care of all of the paperwork.”
