Franchising

Camile Thai Kitchen opening 15 locations, upgrading tech stack

UK-based Camile conducted its first drone delivery in 2020. Provided

February 17, 2021

UK-based Camile Thai Kitchen, which is opening 15 locations this year in the U.K. and Ireland, is focused on growth via technology. The chain, which conducted a drone delivery last year, is raising €10 million ($12 million) to implement a technology-centric strategy, which includes plans to automate its kitchen operations with robotics by year's end.

"Despite an extremely difficult year for the hospitality sector, for Camile 2020 has seen rapid growth," founder Brody Sweeney said in a company press release. "Our suburban, delivery-focused model has proven to be pandemic proof in the last eleven months, not least in terms of revenue and sales.

It's allowed the chain to not only push expansion plans but also to prematurely move ahead with, what Sweeney called, its "tech pivot."

"Our raison d'etre is delivering guilt-free, delicious takeaways — but for us, we see tech playing such an incremental role in terms of food preparation, but also UX and of course, delivery," Sweeney said.

2021 will also see Camile pushing forward with its "franchise as a service" venture, which offers flexible franchise options for business owners with well-located but underused commercial kitchens, such as restaurants, bars and hotels, in regional towns. They may offer Camile's delivery menu, allowing them to continue to operate despite future anticipated lockdown restrictions. The first such premises recently opened in Sligo, Ireland, and Camile aims to open five or six such outlets in the medium term, Sweeney said.

Founded in 2010, Camile has 35 outlets, including six in London.