SmartKitchen

Commercial kitchens are busy, high-pressure environments where food preparation, inventory control, equipment maintenance, and staff coordination happen all at once. Small inefficiencies can quickly translate into wasted food, increased costs, and potential health risks. According to the National Restaurant Association, 92% of restaurateurs list food costs as a top concern, with about a half-pound of food wasted per meal served. Poor air quality, equipment downtime, and lack of data visibility further complicate operations.

Recognizing the need to digitize outdated “pen and paper” processes, SmartKitchen developed a suite of IoT-enabled solutions to track performance, improve safety, reduce waste, and extend the lifespan of costly kitchen equipment. Their offerings include:

• Food Waste Tracker: Analyzes food waste from storage to plate to identify inefficiencies.
• Digital HACCP for Commercial Kitchens: Automates temperature monitoring, hygiene checks, and reporting.
• Digital Management of Food Service: Centralizes operations across multiple kitchens.
• EquipmentTracker: Monitors energy use, wear, and operational status of appliances.
• Restaurant AirTracker: Tracks temperature, humidity, and CO₂ levels remotely.

“Our goal is to make the busy day of the kitchen staff easier by automating routines,” said Matti Verkasalo, CEO of SmartKitchen.

The Challenge: Connecting and Securing a Diverse Device Fleet

For SmartKitchen, the challenge was to securely connect a large and diverse fleet of IoT devices in kitchens around the world. They needed reliable, multi-carrier connectivity for uninterrupted service, as well as a secure way to protect sensitive operational data.

As Verkasalo explains, “We are particularly proud to have developed a complete software stack from embedded firmware to cloud server, focusing on the food industry. We use three different wireless technologies in IoT solution measurements, and the IoT devices are designed and manufactured by SmartKitchen. All collected data is processed and analyzed in SmartKitchen’s own cloud service with guaranteed data protection. It’s unique that we don’t rely on 3rd party software or hardware.”

The Solution: Reliable, Private Connectivity with Soracom

SmartKitchen partnered with Soracom to meet their connectivity needs, deploying Soracom Air SIM cards in every mobile device and gateway. This ensures devices automatically connect to the most reliable available network, backed by Soracom’s global multi-carrier infrastructure.

“From the very beginning, Soracom provided good help and advice in getting started,” said Verkasalo. “During our three-year journey with Soracom, we have always received fast and professional support.”

Security was just as important as connectivity. SmartKitchen uses Soracom Virtual Private Gateway (VPG) to isolate devices from the public internet, enabling secure, bi-directional communication strictly between deployed devices and SmartKitchen’s servers.

“Implementation of VPG was quick and has resulted in significant business benefits,” said Verkasalo. “There have been no communication interruptions, which is very important to our customers.”

The Outcome: Smarter Kitchens, Growing Reach

With Soracom’s connectivity and private networking in place, SmartKitchen has been able to expand into many of Europe’s top hotels and restaurants while adding new features such as POS integrations. Customer feedback continues to drive innovation, ensuring their solutions stay ahead of the industry’s needs.

“With Soracom’s SIM cards, we can easily expand our operations to new countries,” said Verkasalo. “We want to be at the forefront and offer our customers the latest reliable technology. We are currently expanding our distributor network, especially in Central and Western Europe.”