Growing up, Vidhya Subramanian’s mom weaved the ancient practice of ayurveda into her cooking, ensuring every meal her family ate was balanced according to weather, time and temperament.
If it rained, she fried vegetable fritters. If she served a spicy dish, she cooked a cool one to calm the palette. Every meal had a purpose, every meal had balance and, growing up in south India, every meal had to be vegetarian. Subramanian always admired her mother’s commitment to home cooking for her family, but when it came time for her to feed her two daughters, Subramanian’s hectic career cut into her time in the kitchen.
“I chose to be a working mom and I always had the guilt that I didn’t eat well myself, nor did I feed my family well,” Subramanian told Built In. “It’s not about means, it’s not about having enough choices, it’s about feeling tired. People with means often compromise on food.”
Eleven months ago, Subramanian founded Zymmo, an Austin-based on-demand foodie marketplace aimed at sparking the same joy she felt as a child munching on her mom’s cooking. Unlike competitors Grubhub or Uber Eats, which connect diners to restaurants, Zymmo connects customers directly with freelance chefs. On Thursday, the app unveiled a feature that allows foodies to request a private chef come to their home, birthday party, company event and cook.
“We want people to support their local businesses and shops,” Subramanian said. “It’s helping the local economy.”
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to decimate the hospitality industry, Subramanian said Zymmo allows freelance chefs to participate in the gig economy, by either cooking ready-made meals or at socially distant, private events. To take advantage of the market opportunity, Zymmo launched its beta product about two months ahead of schedule, and now offers a selection of Italian, Asian, American and other specialty cuisines.
Chefs who would like to be featured on the Zymmo platform must have access to a commercial kitchen, where they are certified to cook and serve food. The startup’s team conducts video interviews with prospective on-demand cooks, asking them about their restaurant experience, how long they have worked as a chef and more. The company’s product lead formerly served as a chef at the Odd Duck restaurant in Austin.
“What we’re seeing is these are chefs who are currently doing business,” Subramanian said. “They are selling their food to foodies. They just don’t have a large enough platform or technology to support that and help them make more money.”
Since its beta launch, the app has amassed about 50 foodie users, 25 chefs in Austin and Washington, D.C., and processed “a handful” of transactions. The startup has grown to include 25 people and raised about $350,000 in funding. Zymmo is currently in the process of raising a $750,000 seed round, and charges a 15 percent commission on every transaction.
By next year, the startup plans to unveil a premium membership, which will allow foodies to pay for a subscription service. Eventually, the app aims to introduce a social networking component to the platform, allowing users to rate and follow chefs they like, receive updates about new dishes added and attend food-related events in their community.
It is set to officially launch in the App Store on October 17.
“Being a chef is like being an artist, you need creativity and passion,” Subramanian said. “I wanted to give them a platform to shine and define their own destiny, and connect with foodies in a meaningful way.”
