With the opening of Sweetheart Mart in Kuwait and the UAE, Sweetheart Kitchen, a delivery-only multi-brand virtual kitchen in Dubai and Kuwait, is poised to once again disrupt the GCC food and beverage landscape.
Sweetheart Mart sets itself apart from other players in the UAE’s US$1.1 billion online grocery market by bringing 1000 imported and hard-to-find confectionaries, drinks and healthy snacks to consumers’ doors in under 30 minutes. With the UAE’s e-commerce market expected to jump to US$8 billion by 2025, Sweetheart Mart leverages high-tech data insights, on-demand transport infrastructure, and strategically placed distribution hubs to deliver in a fraction of the time of other grocery platforms.
“With our hub and spoke infrastructure and the extensive market coverage we offer through our kitchen network, it was only natural to expand our customer offerings beyond just our F&B brands. With the launch of our Sweetheart Mart division, we can now provide customers immediate access to consumer goods by launching several online, delivery-only, specialty stores with a portfolio of unique and exclusive imported products from around the world,” says Adib Samara, VP – Global Brand & Marketing.
Launched with a 1000-strong product list, the curated selection places an emphasis on crowd-favourite chocolates, candies and sodas, alongside popular protein bars, chips and drinks for health-conscious consumers.
Adding another facet to Sweetheart Kitchen’s F&B enterprise is Sweetheart Foodservice.
Drawing on Sweetheart Kitchen’s advanced cooking techniques, technology-driven manufacturing processes, and a Lean Six Sigma data-driven approach to produce consistently high-quality food, Sweetheart Foodservice works with more than 100 vendors to manufacture food products for restaurants, schools, hospitals, catering operations and food service vendors in the HoReCa Trade Channel.
“Sweetheart Kitchen has a manufacturing facility with the ability and capacity to produce food at scale. With that in mind, we have launched the Sweetheart Foodservice division that enhances our production productivity from one hand and also allows us sell and distribute high-quality semi-finished goods to other restaurants and hotels,” says Karim Chouman, CEO – MENA.
The Sweetheart Foodservice launch comes at a time when the UAE food service industry is enjoying sustained year-on-year growth, having exceeded US$20 billion in the first nine months of 2021. In 2022, the UAE fast-food sector is expected to grow by 5.8 per cent to US$4.51 billion, while the UAE catering services market is forecast to grow by 6 per cent.
Operating 24 hours a day, in a central Dubai location, the state-of-the-art Sweetheart Foodservice manufacturing facility is HACCP Certified, and supported by Sweetheart’s proven capabilities for logistics and distribution. The product list spans ready-to-heat marinated meats, sauces, and complete meals, with a range of vegan options and customized products available.
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