Zesty Clickz is a food delivery service for vegans and vegetarians based in the Klang Valley (Photo: Unsplash)
Cover Zesty Clickz is a food delivery service for vegans and vegetarians based in the Klang Valley (Photo: Unsplash)

This new food delivery platform currently serves about 80 fully vegetarian eateries all around the Klang Valley

Why is it so difficult to find good vegetarian options on food delivery platforms? This was a mystery to Gulshan Kaur Rai, a vegetarian stay-at-home mother living in Kuala Lumpur.

In Gulshan’s experience, most delivery platforms had very restricted choices for vegetarian food. To make things worse, some of them would misidentify places serving meat, labelling them as 'vegetarian' when in actual fact, they weren't.

Frustrated, Gulshan decided to tackle this issue head on. She had a vision: A single platform for vegans and vegetarians, serving a wide variety of easily-accessible plant-based foods and products.

And so Zesty Clickz was born. Established in April this year by Gulshan and her husband Mandeep Singh, this new food delivery platform caters to about 80 fully vegetarian eateries in the Klang Valley including Mataji’s Vegetarian Corner, Pure Saiva, Organicule, Kind Kones, Nourish and Nibbs, and The Hungry Tapir.

See also: The Ultimate Guide To Vegetarian Fine Dining In Malaysia

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Zesty Clickz CEO Gulshan Kaur Rai wanted to add some 'zest' into the life of vegetarian diners
Above Gulshan Kaur Rai wanted to add some 'zest' into the lives of vegetarians

Customers find it easy and safe, knowing that all restaurants listed are meat-free, which allows them to place an order with peace of mind.

“Our idea was to add ‘zest’ to our customers and merchant’s lives through our platform, which promotes an alternate style of living,” Gulshan quips in an email interview. “Restaurants love the idea of being on a vegan or vegetarian platform."

Kuala Lumpur-born Gulshan has been vegetarian since 2012, and is slowly transitioning to a vegan lifestyle. Her change to a plant-based diet was the result of a previous career in the telecom and IT. Gulshan travelled to India frequently until 2017; while there, she frequently ate vegetarian meals to the point that she decided to adopt the diet fully.

Gulshan says she was originally hesitant about starting the business, due to the uncertainties of entering a niche market. Nevertheless, she was passionate about her goal, investing her savings and some capital from her family and friends.

Read more: Asian Vegan Food: 12 Instagram Accounts To Follow For The Best Recipes

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The interface of the Zesty Clickz app
Above The interface of the Zesty Clickz app

“Merchants have been very encouraging and supportive of us. As we allow deliveries of up to 25km, we have had customers from near and far thanking us for such an app where they can easily order things they know fit their diet or lifestyle requirements,” she says.

Zesty Clickz, which is available on Google Play and Apple Store, does a thorough check on all merchants who apply to join them, with Gulshan often visiting the premises herself to confirm their menus are completely plant-based. Deliveries are handled by Lalamove and YTT Logistics Sdn Bhd.

Their app has all the standard functions (Dine-In, Delivery and Self-Pickup etc), as well as a free Events and Reservation function for merchants. Gulshan says more functions are in development, including an upcoming Free to Use POS - Dine In (QR) system. To encourage people to sign up, Zesty Clickz will also be waiving sign-up fees through July, and charging only a 10 per cent fee for food transactions, inclusive of payment gateway charges.

ICYMI: Chef Dave Puts A Vegan Spin On Popular Malaysian Dishes

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Jackfruit briyani from Foodbae, a vegan restaurant under Zesty Clickz
Above Jackfruit briyani from Foodbae, a vegan restaurant
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Vegan cakes from Vicked Good
Above Vegan cakes from Vicked Good

Gulshan says business is growing, with the app currently having about 2,600 subscribers. Her future plans for Zesty Clickz include reaching 200 merchants by the end of the fourth quarter, and expanding to the rest of the country starting with Penang, Johor and Melaka. The company is also seeking funding to increase market visibility, and grow a more influential social media presence.

"Everyone should definitely give Zesty Clickz a try," she adds. "Especially those who aren’t vegetarians because there is a diverse choice of plant-based options out there today to satisfy almost every taste preference. Try it once and you will not miss meat. What we have is much more than ‘grass’ or ‘mock meat'."

Read more: 6 Family Meals To Get Delivered During MCO,

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Peanut butter banana bread from vegan restaurant Simply Serene
Above Peanut butter banana bread from homebased caterer Simply Serene

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Zesty Clickz

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