Crust Express: First commercial cloud kitchen in Chattogram

Crust Express has introduced the concept of a commercial cloud kitchen for the first time in Chattogram. They take orders on Facebook, Instagram or by telephone and deliver the food to the doorsteps of customers without having any physical outlet. They serve many food items including Italian Thin Crust Pizza.

The company started its journey on the ground floor of a building at the Gate No 2 area of the city in October last year. They set up a modern kitchen on the ground floor of the building. They have already made an impression among customers by offering different sizes and different types of pizzas. There are also chicken wings, pasta, and a variety of other items on the menu.

One of the entrepreneurs learned about cloud kitchens while living in Dhaka. He saw many companies delivering pizza till 4 am. He then planned to implement the concept in his own city Chattogram. At first, he discussed the idea with his friends and they agreed. In August last year, three friends started preparing for the arrangements. Finally, from 1 October of the same year, they officially launched the first commercial cloud kitchen in the port city.

Crust Express uses high-quality cheese imported from abroad to make their pizza. After receiving online order, it takes about 40 minutes to make the pizza and deliver it to the customer. Ten types of pizza are available on Crust Express. Their pizza is popular mainly for its thin-crust which gives the taste of authentic Italian pizza. They sell pizza at different prices based on sizes and toppings.

Mohammad Tahmid Hassan, director of Crust Express, said, "Crust Express is a full-fledged cloud kitchen. We have a separate kitchen team with chefs. There is a separate team for marketing, a separate team for management, and a separate team for delivery. We manage the delivery ourselves."

"There are two problems with delivery through different online food delivery services or platforms. First, it takes more time and a lot of the time food gets wasted. But we do everything through our management. We have delivery vehicles. We provide free delivery up to the first 5 km distance from our establishment," he added.

Mahbub Sajid, managing director of the company, said, "Our idea was to deliver pizza to the customers in 30-35 minutes. Now it takes 40 minutes to reach the customer including preparation and delivery time. However, we are trying to reduce this time."

"We buy pizza cheese directly from importers. We are very conscious about the quality of food. Once we stopped our delivery because we could not find the quality of cheese that we use. We deliver pizza in a very short time. So, we use a special kind of insulated bags to keep the food warm," he added.

Muhammad Saeed, the director of the company, said, "We do not have a physical outlet. So, customers judge us by the quality of our food. The business of the company depends on the employees. So, we pay special attention to their satisfaction."

Crust Express currently sells BBQ Chicklicious pizza, Mushroom Reloaded pizza (VEG), King Alfredo pizza, Devils Favorite pizza, Honey Meatball pizza, Crust`s Margarita pizza, Cheesy Madness pizza, Beef Pepperoni Lover pizza, Jalapeno Popper pizza. The price range is between Tk399 to Tk1,099.

Moreover, Crust Express is planning to set up a physical outlet soon.