Have you ever wondered who was behind some of Dubai’s most popular restaurants and delivery-only kitchens? What do brands such as Taqado, Awani, Circle Café, Zaroob, Operation Falafel and Catch22 have in common? The answer to that is: that they have all been created, curated or scaled by Kitopi, a cloud kitchen platform that is revolutionizing the F&B industry in the Middle East.
Founded in 2018, by visionary serial entrepreneur Mohamad Ballout, Kitopi has been leveraging technology to optimize kitchen operations, increasing efficiency and maximizing the number of customers a restaurant can serve over a given period of time, without compromising on service or quality.
Thanks to their Smart Kitchen Operating System (SKOS), the company now operates over 200 F&B outlets and employs more than 6000 people across UAE, KSA, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait.
To cater to clients’ needs and support their exponential growth, the innovative restaurant creators have doubled their number of employees within the last three years. During that time, Kitopi’s corporate benefits and exclusive perks played a crucial role in attracting the right talent, fostering loyalty, and reducing turnover.
One of the most important benefits that come with being a Kitopi employee is a work-from-anywhere policy that was launched during the pandemic but has quickly become an important part of the company’s culture.
Employees can choose to work from anywhere in the world for as long as they like, provided that legal requirements are met and productivity is not impacted. By maintaining their flexible policy in a time where “back-to-office” transitions are on the rise, Kitopi increases employee retention – allowing them to choose their own work environment and keep a healthy work-life balance.
The F&B platform has also created the “Kitopi Academy”, a training, learning, and development initiative that provides regular training sessions and development programs to employees, dispensed by both in-house experts and seasoned faculties.
Additionally, employees have a wealth of valuable online courses available on LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, and Mindvalley – empowering them to continuously develop their skills and knowledge. As a result of their commitment to learning and the company’s internal mobility opportunities, some employees have received up to two promotions a year – enabling them to make significant progress and rapidly propel their careers.
As a way of looking after their staff members’ physical health and wellness, Kitopi also offers free and unlimited access to a nutritionist, and organizes sports tournaments and yearly office Olympics, bringing fun and excitement to the workplace.
Extended maternity and parental leaves, employee stock ownership plans, and an attractive annual leave package are all part of Kitopi highly effective compensation strategy – aiming to boost productivity, engagement and employee satisfaction.