Holachef appoints former Starbucks exec Rohit Sharma as chief supply chain officer

Holachef Hospitality Pvt Ltd, which runs an online marketplace where professional and amateur chefs can sell meals, has announced the appointment of former Starbucks executive Rohit Sharma as its new chief supply chain officer.

Sharma would be responsible for the entire food preparation infrastructure, supply chain automation, sourcing, quality control, food process management and expansion of food categories at Holachef, a company statement said.

Sharma was previously director of supply chain at Tata Starbucks, where he was responsible for setting up the entire supply chain operations in India. He has earlier worked with Domino's, Nirula's and Taj Mahal Hotel in various capacities.

"I am excited to join Holachef and be part of the disruption that is afoot in the traditional food services industry. This clearly means newer challenges as well as immense possibilities for us at Holachef. Automation and supply chain process efficiency will be critical areas of focus for me," said Sharma.

Founded in May 2014, Holachef offers daily menus for lunch, snacks and dinner prepared by city-based chefs. It offers about 50 meal choices every day and each meal is priced between Rs 120 and Rs 350.

In June, the startup claimed that it serves 1,000 orders a day across locations in Mumbai. It receives over 65 per cent of total orders through the mobile app while the rest comes through the website. Currently, the company has operations in Mumbai and Pune.

"Sharma has an excellent track record of building successful teams and driving tangible results through streamlining processes. His experience with multiple high growth organisations and exposure to technological driven supply chain management will be invaluable to Holachef at this juncture of high-speed growth," said Saurabh Saxena, co-founder and CEO, Holachef.

In September, the company had secured an undisclosed amount in funding from Tata Sons' chairman emeritus Ratan Tata.

It had also secured Rs 20 crore (about $3.1 million) in a Series A round of funding led by venture capital firm Kalaari Capital.