Then, Now, and Next of talabat – Tomaso Rodriguez, CEO

Then, Now, and Next of talabat – Tomaso Rodriguez, CEO

talabat is celebrating its tenth anniversary in Bahrain this year. Gulf Insider interviews Tomaso Rodriguez, Chief Executive Officer of talabat to unlock the story of a successful decade and beyond.

Tell us about your venture into Quick-Commerce (Q-commerce).

People nowadays demand speed and convenience. Q-commerce is an evolution of the eCommerce business and our venture started in early 2020 with the concept called talabat Mart. We wanted to get anything delivered in 20 minutes, around the clock.

Although most companies struggled during the pandemic, some companies were able to grow – such as talabat. What was the hardest challenge you had to face during this period?

In hindsight, it was a blessing-in-disguise, but initially it was extremely tough.

When the lockdown first started, nobody knew much about the virus and there were a lot of rumors spreading on the internet. People were panicking and concerned about their safety. They didn’t know who prepared, packed, and delivered their food. In the first three to four weeks of lockdown, our orders were almost nonexistent. We thought it was the end for talabat.

We then worked hard on implementing safety practices and solutions, like ensuring that social distancing is being observed, and contactless delivery. We were the first in