Turning local businesses and restaurants into digital champions

KAMPALA - On a busy afternoon in Kampala, the kitchen at ‘Sungura House’ buzzes with activity. Plates of grilled meats and steaming sides quickly move from stove to counter, headed for both diners and delivery riders waiting outside. 

Located along Bukoto, Kisaasi Road in the northern part of the city, the neighbourhood eatery has built a reputation for hearty portions of grilled meats and classic East African comfort foods.

At Sungura House, rabbit (Sungura) takes centre stage, prepared in several styles from slow-cooked stews to grilled cuts served with traditional sides.

The menu also features flame-grilled chicken and meats, whole deep-fried tilapia with vegetables, and popular choices like pizzas and burgers. Fresh fruit juices made from passion, pineapple, and lemon complete the offerings, catering to both dine-in customers and delivery orders.

“Like many small restaurant owners, I depended a lot on instinct. If a dish seemed popular, I prepared more of it, and if sales were slow, I adjusted prices or portions. But most of those decisions were based on experience and observation because I didn’t always have the data to clearly show what customers were ordering or when demand was highest,” Denis Woniala said.

Of late, however, instead of guesswork, Woniala now studies sales dashboards, delivery patterns, and customer trends to guide daily operations.

These are insights he has learnt through the Glovo Academy, a training programme designed to help micro, small and medium (MSME) restaurant partners move beyond viewing delivery apps as simple digital storefronts and instead leverage them as tools for operational and strategic decision-making.

“Through the Glovo Academy, I’ve learned to use digital tools to run my restaurant smarter. I don’t just take orders from the app anymore. I can see which dishes sell most, plan my menu better, manage my staff efficiently, and track my finances using the data. It’s changed the way I run the business. Woniala has reduced food wastage by 15% and increased average daily revenue by 12%, directly improving the restaurant’s profitability.

In the fast-growing world of food delivery, he notes, many restaurants still treat digital platforms merely as order channels.

“On the contrary, the data behind those orders can tell you what customers really want,” he adds.

The Glovo Academy launched in Uganda in late 2025, with its first sessions held in Kampala. The inaugural cohort brought together 15 restaurant and SME partners, who participated in workshops combining hands-on lessons, real-life examples, and group discussions.

The sessions guide restaurant partners on making smarter decisions, such as what to cook, when to stock ingredients, and how to promote their offerings through digital marketing strategies, from optimising menu descriptions to boosting visibility within delivery apps and shaping online ordering behaviour.

In one practical exercise, participants learned to map their top-selling dishes by hour, allowing them to plan prep schedules and staff shifts more efficiently, reducing delays during peak orders.

Ivy Maingi, the Glovo General Manager Uganda, says that in markets where the academy has been implemented, more than two-thirds of participating restaurants report measurable gains in sales and operational efficiency after completing the training, with many also seeing stronger customer engagement.

“Launching the Glovo Academy in Uganda is a testament to our commitment to this market, where resilient entrepreneurs often have incredible culinary expertise but limited access to the analytical tools larger chains use. Through the academy, we aim to bridge that gap by equipping partners with data-driven insights to understand customers, refine menus, and manage finances, empowering them to scale efficiently and compete at a world-class level,” Maingi says.

Across markets where the programme has been implemented, including Kenya, Glovo says more than two-thirds of participating restaurants report measurable improvements in sales and operational efficiency after completing the training.

The initiative is part of an effort to strengthen the platform’s ecosystem of SME partners. Glovo currently works with more than 800 partner restaurants across Uganda, many of them small and medium-sized enterprises, with about 25% operating in Mukono, Entebbe, and Kitende.

In 2025 alone, the company says it helped bring more than 200 small businesses online at no cost, while over 300 partner restaurants and riders received training through the Glovo Academy programme.

The digital commerce platform has also boosted the visibility of 212 stores through free, company-sponsored promotions, helping local restaurants reach new customers through the platform.

Industry observers and economists say initiatives like the Glovo Academy could play an important role in helping small restaurants remain competitive as the food service sector becomes increasingly digital.

Alexander Odhiambo, Chief Executive Officer of regional technology automation firm Solutech, has emphasised the need for businesses to adopt digital tools such as analytics and automation to remain competitive.

“Automation and analytics are vital to modern business success. By creating a supportive policy environment, Uganda can position itself as a leader in digital transformation across the region,” Odhiambo said in an earlier interview, urging policymakers to encourage companies to modernise operations, boost productivity, and compete more effectively.

John Walugembe, a policy economist and Executive Director at the Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises Uganda, has also pointed to the importance of digital tools and training in improving productivity for small businesses.

“The biggest challenge facing MSMEs is the low level of digital literacy. Digital transformation can improve transparency, boost efficiency, and open up new markets, but most MSMEs cannot take advantage because they lack the necessary skills,” Walugembe noted.