Kaisin: New entrepreneurs with a recipe for success

Diverse, delicious, healthy – three good reasons why the Zurich startup's poké bowls are so successful. Founded in 2017, the food company already has eight branches across Zurich as well as in Basel and Zug. The concept was inspired by Japanese and Hawaiian cuisine: Customers put their own bowl together from various ingredients or select one of the signature bowls. The young company has expertly tapped into the zeitgeist and the tastes of the urban population.

Delano Fischer is one of four Kaisin founders and the director of Kaisin AG. He looks back on the time since 2017 with pride: "We have achieved strong growth entirely under our own steam, with no outside financing." In the first year, he himself stood in the kitchen slicing fish and mangoes; now he's responsible for driving the strategy forward and for the development of 80 employees. "I also have to constantly develop myself, make mistakes and learn from them."

Since Kaisin primarily offers dishes to take away, the company can act flexibly and has low overheads. This has proven successful especially during the pandemic: "This period was not easy for us either, but our four-person founder team has a strong inner drive, and that gave us strength and courage. This enabled us to grow further, even during the COVID-19 pandemic." Anyone wanting to skip the queue during the lunch break can order their own individual bowl via the Kaisin app, pay for it and pick it up directly. The additional service works perfectly.

Kaisin relies on the strength of partnerships and values the synergies that different locations offer. As a result, offers are created that are not yet available on the market. "We want to meet our partners at eye level, be taken seriously, and maintain direct communication", says Delano Fischer. It was also very important to the founder-quartet to find a strong partner in the area of insurance, since none of them knew anything about this subject beforehand. "At the same time, we were aware that we had many risks in the catering sector that we needed to be covered against." In the founding phase the risk tolerance level was high. But as more employees were hired, the stronger the feelings of responsibility became. And appropriate cover became more important.

"That's where we come in", comments Celine Schlosser, Lead for Market Management & Customer Excellence at Zurich Switzerland. "It is enormously important, especially for new entrepreneurs, to understand and prioritize their risks – so that they cover what is really important in that initial phase." Furthermore, it is the task of the insurance company to discuss preventative measures so that damage is avoided entirely. "For example, we offer cyber security training in order to sensitize employees to these risks."

Kaisin has mastered its first years in business with the help of a strong insurance partner. Delano Fischer explains which other ingredients are contained in his recipe for success: "Firstly, find the right people – our model would not have worked without any one of the four original founders because each of them brought their own unique expertise. Secondly, start small and don't invest too much money in luxury solutions; instead build up your range steadily. Thirdly, and most importantly: Even if all beginnings are difficult – show tenacity, develop passion and trust your idea. If you are 100% behind it then the dreams you have as a fledgling entrepreneur can come true."