Catapult Concepts: Pioneering a Simplified and Efficient Model for Virtual Restaurants
Catapult Concepts, spearheaded by Jake Schostak, is revolutionizing the virtual restaurant space by introducing a new operational model emphasizing simplicity and efficiency. Schostak, who has a rich background in the restaurant business, including roles at Chipotle and Sweetgreen, founded the company to address the challenges faced by independent restaurants, especially amidst the changing dynamics of the industry exacerbated by the pandemic.
The company has launched with two brands, Cheese Steak Daddy and Pop’s Meatball Sandwich, and is actively expanding in the Detroit market. The business model stands out for several reasons:
- Centralized Commissary Kitchen: All ingredients are prepared in a central kitchen, reducing the prep work required at individual restaurants and ensuring consistency in product quality.
- Efficient Inventory Management: Catapult oversees inventory and delivery from the commissary, ensuring that partner restaurants always have the necessary products on hand, thereby eliminating issues of unfulfilled orders standard in the virtual restaurant space.
- Local Teams in Every Market: The company believes in having a local team to build trust with customers and operators in each market. This strategy has proven successful in traditional multi-unit restaurant operations.
Catapult Concepts has already attracted venture capital investments and partnered with notable industry advisors, with plans to introduce three new brands in the coming year.
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