Matty - Menus are transported to you

Georg Foidl: I trained as a chef and later reoriented myself professionally. As I have always enjoyed interacting with other people, a job in sales was an obvious choice for me. So in 2015, I started at a Tyrolean company with new tasks in the IT and software sector.

Our target group then, as now, was the 3, 4 and 5-star hotel industry in the DACH region. As an area manager for parts of Austria and Switzerland, I had the great opportunity to work in the most beautiful hotels in the Alps. As a result, I heard the same thing over and over again and everyone who knew my background as a trained chef asked me the same question week after week: "Georg, don't you know a chef for me? We can't get one!". So I thought, why doesn't anyone offer the hotels different menus?

Georg Foidl: The basic idea of "Matty - Menus are transported to you" was primarily aimed at the 3, 4 and 5-star hotel industry. So far, we have completely covered Tyrol and southern Bavaria.

We provide the hotels with menus two to three days a week, or just the starter, main course or dessert. During this time, they can give their chefs time off, offer a regular working week and also better cushion absences such as sick leave. Good chefs are always in demand, but they rightly insist on their free time. If everything fits together, they will stay at the hotel for longer.

Georg Foidl: The coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on us! We founded our company in January 2020 and wanted to start production in August 2020. This situation put our business plan and financing to the test. In the end, we were able to start operations in December 2020 despite some challenges.

Now we had a great kitchen that still couldn't produce anything because all the hotels were closed. We asked ourselves the question: What are we going to do with the most modern commercial kitchen in Austria at the time? Then we came up with the idea of producing healthy, delicious food for employees from a wide range of areas. The first meals were delivered to companies in March 2021. From initially 3-man companies, we now serve companies with up to 600 employees. The start was finally a success.

Georg Foidl: If we can draw an initial conclusion from the past few months, it is that we are on the right track! The shortage of skilled workers runs like a red thread through the local economy. As the No. 1 tourist destination in the hotel and catering industry, we notice it every day, and there is still no improvement in sight. The issue is also omnipresent in Italy and Switzerland. Initial contacts have already been made with our neighbors.

Above all, we have learned that things usually don't turn out as planned, that business plans are all well and good, but that they are only written on paper - and as we know, paper is very patient!

Extraordinary times like the ones we are currently experiencing are challenging for people and companies alike, but they can also create completely new opportunities and branches. For example, we are not only supplying Tyrolean hotels, offices and workshops with our meals, but also kindergartens and social centers. This would probably never have happened without the pandemic.

Georg Foidl: For some years now, we have seen a growing awareness of sustainability, healthy eating and, above all, regionality among the local population and guests. Pre-packaged products that are machine-made abroad are slowly coming under attack. Whether in top cuisine or on the freezer shelves at home. In future, we will continue to rely on food from the Alpine region, handmade products and our strong local partners who support us day in, day out.

We will focus even more on digitalization. We already rely heavily on our software solutions in purchasing, planning, production and logistics. The next step is to use weather data and event data from the regions to gain an even better understanding of our customers' ordering behavior. Among other things, this will make purchasing more efficient and reduce food waste to a minimum.

Other businesses with kitchens could benefit from this in the future. We are also planning to offer our software outside of Matty's direct customer base. Digitalization in our Tyrolean kitchens is gradually catching on, but there is still some catching up to do!