Buffet dining app Hungry Hub bags $450k from Expara, 500 Startups

Hungry Hub, a fixed-price buffet app in Thailand, has banked US$450,000 from Expara Thailand and 500 Startups.

Hungry Hub CEO Surasit Sachdev / Photo credit: Hungry Hub

Hungry Hub started as an online restaurant reservation app in 2014. In 2016, it shifted its focus and began to offer specialized food and beverage promotions through partnerships with restaurants.

Currently, Hungry Hub’s app offers four different packages, including an all-you-can-eat deal for restaurants that usually only offer a la carte menus, a deal designed for groups of two to four, supplemental offerings on top of existing buffet deals, and an all-inclusive set lunch option.

Its partner restaurants include Audrey Cafe, Copper International Buffet, Arno’s, Maisen, Outback Steakhouse, Banyan Tree Hotel, Hilton Sukhumvit, and Sofitel So, among others.

With the investment, Hungry Hub plans to accelerate its acquisition process to 1,000 restaurants in an 18-month period. It also looks to raise funds through a series A round in the next 12 months to fuel its global expansion plans.

The company, which currently operates in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, is also looking to expand to major cities in Thailand through a regional rollout slated for 2020. It is working with various affiliates such as food bloggers and travel and food deal site Klook to expand its reach.

Hungry Hub claims to have been profitable for the last eight months, with an annual gross merchandise volume of US$6 million for participating restaurants. The company also said it has served over 430,000 diners at an average per-booking spend of US$80.