UniPro and Choco Partner to Offer AI-Driven Order Management Technology to More Than 450 UniPro Members

Collaboration Reflects Shared Vision of Transforming and Empowering Stakeholders in the Food Supply Chain; Continues Choco's Rapid Expansion in the US

ATLANTA, July 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Choco, the leading global digital ordering platform for the food industry, is proud to announce a strategic partnership with UniPro, the largest food distribution cooperative in the US. The two companies share a vision of helping food suppliers and distributors succeed in today's marketplace through cutting-edge digital tools. As a result of the partnership, Choco's AI-powered order management platform, Choco AI, will be one of the preferred technology and AI partners for all UniPro members, which comprise more than 450 distributors in the US.

"UniPro has a proud history spanning over 50 years, and our vision continues to be that of an innovative and transformative force within the foodservice industry, always supporting our members," said Louie Newton, CIO at UniPro. "Our partnership with Choco aligns perfectly with this vision, providing our members with the essential leading-edge tools to remain competitive and successfully scale in an ever-evolving market."

In recent years, the food industry has struggled with labor shortages, competition from e-commerce marketplaces, and inefficient order processes. Many distributors still rely on manual methods like phone calls and handwritten notes, leading to errors and restricted order times. These inefficiencies and errors result in lost revenue, customer dissatisfaction, and food waste. Distributors also struggle to provide the seamless online ordering their customers expect.

The partnership announced today empowers UniPro's distributor customers to easily launch a digital storefront under their brand and personalized to their business. This means they will be able to offer the operators they serve a modern, digital customer experience for placing orders and discovering new products. In addition, Choco AI offers solutions to automate manual orders and help distributor sales representatives more effectively support their customers.

Choco AI is a revolutionary solution designed to automate and streamline order management between restaurants and distributors, mitigating the challenges of manual processes. Choco AI auto-captures voicemail, text, WhatsApp,and email orders around the clock, translates them into a standardized digital format, and integrates them into the supplier's ERP system in real-time. With Choco AI distributors reach 100% digitization in two weeks and process 100 times more orders, empowering them to grow and become more competitive without the need for additional staff or resources.

"Succeeding in this industry is harder than ever, which is why we're so proud to partner with a company like UniPro that shares our commitment to empowering every actor within the supply chain," said Choco CEO and Co-Founder Daniel Khachab. "At Choco, we believe that AI can be the secret weapon for every organization looking to increase efficiency and grow their business, and we're excited to help UniPro's customers tap into its potential."

About Choco

Choco is a leading AI-powered platform revolutionizing the food supply chain by connecting restaurateurs with suppliers. Leveraging advanced artificial intelligence, Choco simplifies ordering processes, making them as intuitive and immediate as sending a chat message. Our AI tools help customers maximize efficiency, reduce costs, and minimize food waste. Choco was founded by serial entrepreneurs Daniel Khachab and Julian Hammer. Since its founding in 2018, the company has grown rapidly and is now active in markets such as the U.S., Germany, France, Spain, UK, Austria and Belgium. In February 2022, the total value of goods traded through Choco exceeded $1.2 billion. For more information, visit www.choco.com

About UniPro

UniPro Foodservice, Inc. is the leading foodservice distribution network in the United States, comprising more than 450 companies, each marketing the products and services provided by UniPro Foodservice. UniPro today is a combination of 15 former groups that have merged and come together over the years providing unified strength and independent solutions to all our Members and partners. For information, visit www.uniprofoodservice.com

SOURCE Choco