Layoff
May 2024Nearly 100 employees were made redundant after a kitchen-process redesign, according to TechCabal.
SourceVirtual Restaurants & Stores for Africa
Company research
Public company, workplace, funding, and market signals
Updated Jul 30, 2026
Overview
FoodCourt (also known as CoKitchen) is a Lagos-based, Y Combinator-backed virtual restaurant / cloud-kitchen company serving chef-prepared meals and convenience goods through its app, with a full-stack model that controls technology, production, and delivery.
Primary product
FoodCourt app and web platform for ordering chef-prepared meals from FoodCourt’s virtual restaurant brands and catering/business meals
Founded
2021
Headquarters
Lagos, Nigeria
Team size
70-80 employees
Industry
Technology, Information and Internet
Sub-industry
Food delivery / virtual restaurants / cloud kitchens
Offices
Lagos, Nigeria
Lekki, Lagos
Ikoyi, Lagos
Victoria Island, Lagos
Nigeria
United Kingdom
Saudi Arabia
United States
Business model
Consumer food delivery via app
Virtual restaurant brands
Dark kitchen / cloud kitchen operations
B2B corporate catering
Office lunch and event catering
Business meal management platform
Funding
Stage
Seed
Total raised
$2.3M
Latest round
Seed · Sep 2022
Latest amount
$125K
Sep 2022
$2.2M
People & investors
Leadership
Co-Founder & CEO
Co-Founder & CTO
Co-founder & COO
Work & culture
The company publicly describes itself as dynamic, collaborative, innovation-driven, and focused on diversity, inclusion, and work-life balance.
Benefits
Work environment emphasizing diversity
Work environment emphasizing inclusion
Work-life balance
Dynamic culture
Passion-driven workplace
Commitment to continuous innovation
Product & market
Pricing
Not publicly specified; consumer orders appear menu-based, while business/catering offerings are quote-based or custom packages through sales contact.
Differentiators
- —Owns and operates its brands, kitchens, and delivery experience
- —Full-stack control over technology, production, and delivery
- —Virtual restaurant and dark-store model
- —B2B corporate meal and catering offering
- —Multiple owned brands across a single ordering app
- —Focus on quality, variety, convenience, and sustainability
Technology
iOS app
Android app
Mobile application
Web platform
Full-stack delivery operations
Technology-driven kitchen operations
Automated budget / analytics dashboard for business customers
Customers
Consumers ordering chef-prepared meals
Businesses seeking office lunches and corporate catering
Events and conference organizers
Teams using budget-managed meal programs
Customers in Lekki, Ikoyi, Victoria Island, and surrounding Lagos areas
Competitors
Chowdeck
HeyFood
Swoop
Jumia Food
Glovo
Uber Eats
Deliveroo
Swiggy
DoorDash
Grubhub
Scale & contact
Signals & risks
Shutdown
Mar 2026Customers reported orders could no longer be placed and FoodCourt paused operations amid unpaid salaries and vendor debts; later reports said the last branch temporarily shut down by April 19, 2026.
SourceOther
Jul 2026Multiple reports described a restructuring / pause in operations while the company sought fresh capital to settle outstanding debts and resume operations.
SourceLatest news
Startup Researcher · Jul 2026
Reported that the YC-backed Nigerian cloud kitchen suspended operations amid financial trouble after failing to pay staff and vendors.
TechCabal · Jul 2026
Reported that FoodCourt paused operations after financial distress, including unpaid salaries and vendor debts; noted shutdown of the last branch by April 2026 while the company sought new funding.
BusinessDay · Jul 2026
Covered FoodCourt’s operational pause, citing unpaid salaries, vendor obligations, and a restructuring effort to settle debts and restart operations.
TechCabal · Sep 2025
Explained FoodCourt’s owned-brands, owned-kitchens, and delivery-partner model, noting expansion beyond Lagos and Abuja and B2B/corporate meal growth.
Forbes Africa · Jan 2025
Profiled FoodCourt’s virtual restaurant model, founder background, and scaling strategy in Nigeria’s food delivery market.
Jobs and careers at FoodCourt
0 jobs at FoodCourt
No open positions
Check back later for new openings