Circular Success
Suppli & Kitchen Hub Harmonize Convenience with Sustainability
When visionary minds align, innovation takes flight. Suppli, Toronto’s leader in reusable restaurant packaging, co-founded by CEO Megan Takeda-Tully, and Kitchen Hub, Canada’s first virtual food hall, co-founded by Oren Borovitch, are perfectly positioned to revolutionize the food delivery landscape.
With Suppli’s eco-friendly, circular packaging system already making waves across the city, and Kitchen Hub’s tech-driven, multi-brand takeout and delivery offering already well established, the timing for collaboration couldn’t be better. Their partnership is right-sized and timed for the moment, proving the arrival of an affordable, actionable able solution to single-use packaging. We met with Megan and Oren to learn more about how their businesses are working together to harmonize convenience and sustainability to transform how Canadians experience delivery—waste-free and right on time.
Suppli has emerged as a leader in the fight against single-use packaging waste, offering restaurants and consumers a simple, sustainable solution. By providing restaurants with reusable containers customers can return to local drop-off bins, Suppli has made it easier for food businesses to reduce their environmental footprint. “We partner with operators and supply them with our containers in various sizes to fit different cuisines,” Megan explains. “It’s a simple integration—a modifier on the apps they already use, like Uber Eats, where customers can opt in for Suppli packaging. Restaurants pack the orders, and once the food is delivered, customers return the containers to one of our drop-off locations across the city. We take care of the cleaning and sanitization, and the cycle continues.”
Suppli’s business model is as frictionless for restaurants as it is for consumers, offering a split-cost system that remains affordable even for small operators. “We were dead set on making Suppli affordable for restaurants,” says Megan, adding that “our packaging costs range from five to twenty cents per container, depending on volume.” Consumers, meanwhile, pay a modest seventy-five cents per item for reusable packaging when ordering. “Suppli-savvy customers are discovering new restaurants through our platform,” Megan points out. “A huge portion of our customers’ first orders are Suppli orders, and they also tend to spend about 25 per cent more per order.”
Kitchen Hub, which has been on a mission to reduce its own packaging waste since its inception, saw Suppli as a natural fit for its forward-thinking business model. “We specialize in takeout and delivery, and from day one, we knew we had a responsibility to tackle the packaging waste issue,” Oren explains. “When we discovered Suppli, we were impressed with how easy they made it for both the restaurant and the consumer. It wasn’t just about sustainability—it was about delivering a better experience for everyone involved.”
The partnership has already had a measurable impact. “We’re already seeing a meaningful reduction in the packaging going out of our facility,” says Oren, “and that’s growing all the time as more customers demand sustainable options.” They also note that Kitchen Hub’s Suppli drop-off bin is frequently used by people who didn’t even order from Kitchen Hub, illustrating the wide-reaching appeal of the program. “Consumers are seeking out Suppli, and that’s helping drive foot traffic back to our restaurants. It’s a win-win-win.”
Suppli’s simple yet effective solution extends beyond packaging waste. “We’re putting together marketing programs to really push our customers toward Suppli-friendly restaurants,” says Megan. “It’s about building a community of restaurants and customers that support each other.” On the operational side, Suppli has streamlined packaging logistics for many of its partners. “Some restaurants have told us they’ve been able to reduce the number of container types they stock because our containers work for both hot and cold foods,” she explains. “It’s just easier for their teams to fulfil orders.”
For Kitchen Hub, the collaboration has been a natural evolution of its sustainability mission. “We started small, with one restaurant, to see how it would work,” says Oren. “All they had to do was order Suppli containers the same way they’d order from any other vendor, store them like they already do, and train their staff. It was an easy integration.” The results speak for themselves. “Sales hide all sins,” Oren says with a laugh, “so if you’re bringing in new customers while also solving an operational problem or cost issue, you’re winning all around.”
Suppli currently serves the downtown Toronto area via Uber Eats, with plans to expand to new geographies and delivery apps soon. Learn more at: mysuppli.ca
Kitchen Hub is a leader in the food hall industry, dedicated to simplifying mealtime with a variety of dining options. By integrating technology and understanding consumer trends, Kitchen Hub provides a unique takeout and delivery experience that resonates with today’s diners. Customers can order from the celebrated restaurants including: Mandy’s Salads, Miznon, Wingstop, Pai Northern Thai Kitchen, Edo Japan, Cafe Landwer, and more, in one takeout or delivery order. Kitchen Hub offers a low-cost method for restaurants to grow through its state-of-the-art multi-kitchen facilities, and restaurant support programs that leverage Kitchen Hub’s expertise in eCommerce, digital marketing, and fulfillment. Learn more at www.kitchenhub.com
