Kanpla introduces Kai - AI built for the future of contract catering

Today Kanpla introduced Kai (Kanpla AI), a new digital helper designed to bring the power of artificial intelligence into contract catering. After five years of working closely with caterers and operators across the world, the company is combining those learnings with the opportunities AI now offers: to reimagine what catering can be.

Contract catering has always been a purpose-driven, people-centric business. It keeps employees satisfied at work, children healthy at school, and teams motivated every day. But it’s also one of the toughest industries to operate in. Margins are thin, budgets are tight, and year after year, operators are expected to do more with less.

Technology has always played a role in supporting this balancing act, but AI marks a real shift.

‘It’s one of those rare moments where everything changes,’ said Jonas Gøttler, COO and Co-founder of Kanpla. ‘Used in the right way, we believe it can remove admin, simplify the complex, and help chefs and caterers focus on what really matters: creating great food and experiences.’

Kai: Your New Digital Helper

Behind every great catering experience is a huge amount of planning, coordination, and data. Kitchens need to forecast demand accurately to avoid both shortages and waste. Teams are expected to run targeted marketing campaigns with limited resources. And chefs have to balance costs, nutrition, feedback, and trends - often without the right tools to bring it all together, all while cooking.

Kanpla AI (Kai), has been developed to support caterers in tackling these challenges. Kai consists of three initial agents, each of them designed to address a specific operational need.

• Demand Planner: helps kitchens forecast what and how much to cook by gathering and analysing relevant data from your location.

• Marketing Manager: helps teams create and measure location-specific campaigns, making it easier to engage guests effectively and maximise the impact of their communications.

• Menu Agent: analyses sales, feedback, and costs to suggest evidence-based menu adjustments, while supporting chef creativity and client preferences.

‘Chefs don’t become chefs to sit in front of spreadsheets,’ said Robert Wolf, CTO and Co-founder of Kanpla. ‘They want to cook, create, and deliver great experiences. We want Kai to help take away the repetitive tasks, turn data into answers, and give them back the time to do what they love.’

A New Era for Catering

This introduction is only the beginning. The first Kai agents are rolling out with beta customers today, with more features and wider availability planned for 2026.

‘We’re only just scratching the surface of what’s possible,' added Gøttler. ‘But we believe AI will be vital for the future of catering, and we’re excited to shape that future together with the industry.’

About Kanpla

Kanpla is a software-as-a-service company dedicated to transforming the contract catering industry through technology. Founded in Denmark in 2020, the company was born from firsthand experiences with food waste, long queues, low guest engagement, and the complexity chefs face managing multiple systems.

Today, Kanpla’s platform is used in over 4,500 locations by more than 500,000 users, supported by a 55+ person team - the largest in Europe focused solely on this industry - Kanpla is well positioned to harness AI and build the future of contract catering.