Nora Real Food began preparing its dishes for offices in a small kitchen in 22@, knowing that there were many multinationals there that could hire them. Nora Vallcorba and her mother, Nora Barata, started doing it in 2019, after seeing a similar business model in France. Trained at Esade, Vallcorba proposed this idea as a final degree project, detecting that there were many delivery options for when you are at home, but not at work. She believed she had found a little-modernized field, with companies that were divided between those that gave restaurant tickets, had a dining room, or let their employees bring a tupper, in addition to seeing that there were few options for those on the outskirts of the city.
The first kitchen in 22@ soon became too small for them, and they took over a larger one from a nearby restaurant where they used to eat and have coffee, with 150 square meters compared to the initial 25 square meters. Through an online platform, individuals and companies ordered specific dishes from them, until human resources departments found them. Nora Real Food always adapted to their needs, "we make tailor-made suits," Vallcorba emphasizes. Varied options are offered, considering intolerances and including vegetarian and vegan dishes, for a price ranging from 8 euros to 12 euros, depending on whether it is a single dish or a complete menu, with the average ticket being almost 9 euros. The price has recently increased due to inflation, with the rising cost of electricity particularly affecting kitchens.
In the end, they also started to run out of space with their first expansion, so they considered scaling the project, which led them to look at some empty industrial warehouses, above Diagonal, in 22@ north, where they could locate a large kitchen and a warehouse to respond to the growing demand. With construction started, the pandemic arrived. Out of prudence, they decided to keep only one warehouse, of 800 square meters, and free up the neighboring one, of 400 square meters.
They weathered the months of COVID and, although many predicted the death of offices due to teleworking, they saw companies reform their headquarters to create open and spacious areas, eliminating many of the canteens they had until then. They ended up attracting new clients, also taking advantage of contract changes in the dining rooms. They also focused on companies in neighboring cities of Barcelona, especially those located in industrial estates, knowing that they had few options to choose from.
After the slump of 2020, they earned 1.3 million euros in 2021, a figure they more than doubled in 2022, with 2.9 million euros. This 2023, they expect to reach a turnover of 4.5 million euros and record profits for the first time. The company started with an initial capital of 300,000 euros and has only closed one financing round, in 2020, for an amount of 455,000 euros, but they do not rule out doing it again in the future. Albert Solé, current Operations Director, joined the founding team. They have a total of 65 employees, with the majority in the kitchen and only 20 in offices, from where the platform through which orders are placed is managed.
The incorporation of a new business line, managing the Mango dining room, has been key in this leap towards profitability. Nora Real Food has become the operator of the canteen at the fashion firm's headquarters in Palau-Solità i Plegamans, incorporating its 20 workers into its staff. Although its focus will continue to be on what the founder defines as a "digital canteen," that is, sending dishes to companies that do not have a dining room, they do not rule out new clients similar to Mango.
The incorporation of a new business line, managing the Mango dining room, has been key in this leap towards profitsIn total, they have a portfolio of 120 clients and serve 2,500 daily menus, among which is the pharmaceutical companyFerrer, the shipyardMB92, the digital market of second handWallapop, the delivery companyGlovoand the law firmOsborne Clarke. They also send dishes outside Barcelona, up to an hour and a quarter away, to cities in Baix Llobregat and Vallès. Delivery is subcontracted to delivery companies such as Paack and Shargo. They always try, whenever possible, to use local and sustainable suppliers.
Having confirmed the viability of the proposal Vallcorba conceived for a project at Esade, next year Nora Real Food will expand again. They plan to occupy the warehouse they couldn't keep due to COVID, reaching a total area of 1,200 square meters, allowing them to space out the kitchen and the area dedicated to logistics, from plating to collection, as well as the warehouse for all the products they use to cook more than 40 types of dishes.
In the longer term, the company is considering expanding to Madrid. They also want to improve their technology, to incorporate, for example, menu prediction or orders via WhatsApp. However, Vallcorba emphasizes, "growing in a sustained manner and without losing quality." That's what her mother is for, always checking that they don't deviate from the business they started testing in a small kitchen four years ago.