The Challenge

Wahaca is a restaurant chain, specialising in ethically sourced Mexican street food, with the emphasis of their offering on the sourcing of good quality ingredients. They wanted a restaurant chain that defied the common, negative perception of Mexican food.

They currently have 6 sites in London and their aim is to expand to 25 in the next 5 years.  In order to grow at their anticipated rate, they knew they needed to re-assess their current in-house manufacturing process, so they asked Procure4 to come and help them to find a solution.

The Approach

Procure4 assessed the current manufacturing process; this involved all menu products being created from raw ingredients in onsite kitchens. However, with the expectation of growth it was clear that a large proportion of the food production would need to be outsourced.

After an intensive review of the process, Procure4 and Wahaca decided upon 31 menu products that could be outsourced and at what stage of the production process this could be, therefore, allowing Wahaca’s level of exceptional quality to be maintained.

It was then necessary to take these products and put them out to tender to a range of suppliers. Procure4 identified 70 suppliers, of which 38 submitted information and 21 attended two supplier days. These days were critical as it enabled the team to communicate the importance of consistent quality and the values and vision for Wahaca’s growth and their contribution to that vision.

The Results

After much tasting, discussion and process analysis, Procure4 presented a range of scenarios to Wahaca.  The team then determined which options would provide the optimal combination of value and taste for the business.  The outcome helped reduce costs significantly as well as supporting the growth ambitions of the business.