Finding that place to eat for lunch has always been a pain in the ass for my colleagues and I. We’re always pressed for time (very un-
Spanish of us I must admit), which leads to us frequenting the same restaurants time and time again. Boringgggg. Even though I live in the neighbourhood where I work, I still stand around scratching my head when someone suggests we try something different. Wouldn’t it just be lovely if someone just told us where to go?
Well guess what, it’s my birthday! That’s exactly what DiLunch does. Tired with visiting the same old restaurants and realizing how difficult it is for these establishments to promote themselves to companies and their workers in the same area, they developed this little gem. Quite simply, DiLunch connects workers with restaurants in close proximity to their companies providing them with a selection of special deals, daily menus and tantalizing offers. The idea of course being, to fill that excess capacity (that believe me) every restaurant has.
The free iOS and Android app has Spain’s first virtual loyalty card with “digital stamps” enabling their users the ability to be rewarded for their fidelity. The app is pretty simple: you are presented with a selection of restaurants close to your office with their menus and special deals for the day. The restaurants can push certain promotions and apply elastic pricing depending on capacity, enabling them to maximize their revenues and build a loyal customer base. Each time you eat at a restaurant, you gain a virtual stamp, which can lead to real tangible prizes (free breakfast, free menus etc). This is all done by a quick scan of a QR code.
Co-founder and COO Alejandra Sopranis says “We as consumers are becoming DJ’s for the informational age, constantly on the search for more and more content and better offers. In this sense, we see DiLunch as a pioneer because we allow, in a simple and intuitive way, workers to save time and money eating”.
DiLunch launched their beta in late 2012 and now has over 4000 registered users with the official launch date set for September 18th 2013. Currently they are operating in the centre of Barcelona (within the 7 Km2 of Eixample’s area) with over 60 restaurants partners.
The promising startup was finalist in the Wayra week in March of this year and has since gone on to raise 115,000€ from ENISA and the founders. They are currently looking for external funding to consolidate their position in Barcelona and expand further into the Spanish territory, starting with Madrid.
The international team was founded by Alejandra Sopranis, Mohamed Soufyani, and Mathieu Derval who have over 15 years experience in business development, finance and engineering. If you’re interested in exploring some of the local delights around your office and saving ‘some money then check out DiLunch!
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