Mosaic Launches #FeedManila to Help Families Impacted by COVID-19: Here’s How You Can Help

In just a few weeks, COVID-19 has put millions out of work, causing a ripple effect across economies worldwide. While the impact has been felt everywhere, the situation is particularly dire in developing countries, where populations are more vulnerable.

Luckily, an Investible portfolio company based in the Phillippines has come up with an innovative way to help those most in need, while also building awareness for its offering amongst key customer groups.

‍Mosaic Solutions launched the #FeedManila initiative to help feed the community’s neediest while also keeping local restaurant workers employed. With the help of donations, founder Brett Doyle and his team are paying restaurants to create healthy, cost-effective meals, which are then collected and distributed via local charities and not-for-profit organisations.

Since the initiative started in mid-April, #FeedManila has served more than 1,000 meals across the city.

Mosaic is a leading provider of profit optimisation solutions including data analytics, inventory management, point of sale and purchasing – primarily for the Asian hospitality industry. With so many of his customers impacted by lockdowns, quarantine restrictions and job losses, Doyle knew they needed to find a way to give back.

“This is home for me and my family. It’s not just about business. These closures are having a dire impact on people, especially when there are fewer support systems in place than there are in more developed economies around the world. We wanted to do something positive for the community.”

“Restaurants and bars – these are our main customers. So, we couldn’t ask them to dig into their pockets when they’re also suffering. We came up with #FeedManila to ensure that restaurant owners can take care of their families and employees, while also getting food to those who need it most.”

Mosaic’s initiative is able to support restaurants in producing hundreds of quality meals of meat, vegetables and rice per day for the equivalent of AU$1.50. That includes the cost of the food, packaging and the salary for the kitchen staff who prepares it.

“We expect that demand for the food is going to increase in the coming weeks but fortunately, we already have a list of restaurant partners who are eager to help. And I’m really proud of how quickly our team has moved to make this initiative a reality,” says Doyle.

In addition to #FeedManila, Mosaic has also set up Dine To Unite, a directory that provides a one-stop-shop for customers to find out which local restaurants are still running – such as by offering takeaway or delivery services or running promotions. The customer insights from the page will also be shared with participating restaurants.

“We want to connect customers to open restaurants and keep them busy! We launched with more than 70 restaurants but in just a few days, we tripled that.”

Through these challenging times, Mosaic has also been diversifying its customer base into the off-premise/grocery channel. It landed its largest client to date during the lockdown. Doyle says the crisis emphasises the need for solutions that enable businesses to use data to optimise their profits.

“These last few weeks have demonstrated that what we’re doing is really resonating. Hospitality businesses need to watch every dollar, especially now. Having the right insights makes it that much easier to improve your margins, retain staff and prepare to grow into the future.”  

Mosaic has set up a webpage with information on how to donate to #FeedManila. It is also offering a free version of its Analytics Platform to hospitality businesses around the world for three months.