Rebel Foods : The largest cloud kitchen in the world.
Introduction
The cloud kitchen model was pioneered in India by Rebel Foods which was established by Jaydeep Barman and Kallol Banerjee in 2011. Beginning with Faasos, a wraps-and-roll QSR, it was found that it was difficult to scale physical outlets due to high rentals. As food delivery apps such as Swiggy and Zomato became a growing trend, Rebel transformed into a multi-brand, delivery-only kitchen business.
Business Model
Rebel has more than 45 brands that it operates in 450 kitchens in 10 or more countries. Its strategy:
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One-roof multi-brand kitchens (Faasos, Behrouz Biryani, Oven Story etc.).
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The technological processes, menu design, forecasting, and kitchen efficiency require the utilization of data analytics.
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Franchise-as-a-Service (FaaS), which sells its technologies and brands around the world to go asset-light.
Growth & Financials
Rebel itself is a unicorn that has raised $175M as of 2021, and had revenues of INR 1,500+ Cr in 2024. The challenge of profitability is still there but the losses are minimizing as efficiency increases.
Challenges & Lessons
Rebel has intense competition, high dependency on aggregators and brand dilution threats. However, its experience teaches business leaders: be flexible, use technology, diversify sources of revenue, and broaden internationally with domestic partners.
Conclusion
Rebel Foods is not only the first cloud kitchen in India, but the largest internet restaurant company, reinventing the concept of food branding and scaling.
