KOZHIKODE: It began not in Kerala, but on the streets of Italy, where a young management student watched cafés quietly sell their unsold food at the end of the day instead of throwing it away. That simple, practical idea stayed with 25-year-old Muhammed Nihal. Years later, back home in Kozhikode, he is turning that observation into a full-fledged movement against food waste.
In a city celebrated as Kerala’s bustling food capital, where late-night biriyani counters thrive and cafés rarely close, piling up of perfectly edible food at the end of each day is a common occurrence.
Determined to change this, Nihal, along with his brother and business partner Sanooj Rahman V, and teammate Hiba Nourin KP, began digging deeper. What started as a curiosity soon became a structured research effort. The team conducted a detailed study across restaurants in Kozhikode, tracking food preparation volumes, sales trends, and post-11pm leftovers. The findings were clear: significant quantities (more than 28%) of good food were going to waste every single day.The response to the problem was Kyka, lingo for ‘let’s eat’ — a tech-driven platform that is as simple as it is impactful.
Set to launch within a week, the Kyka mobile app already has around 40 restaurants and cafés on board, including 10 premium outlets. The concept is straightforward: partner restaurants list their surplus, unsold food as “magic packs” on the app after peak hours. Customers can then purchase these at heavily discounted prices — ranging from 60-80% — and collect them within a specified time slot.
But there’s a twist. The “magic pack” is designed as a surprise box. Users select the size — small, medium, or large — without knowing exactly what’s inside, making affordability meet a sense of curiosity.
“My father, Khalid, who retired as a corporation health officer, often spoke about food quality, waste, and public health. Those conversations stayed with me,” Nihal says.
“When I did my BBA and MBA in Italy, I saw how end-of-day discounted food systems worked efficiently. I wanted to bring that idea to Kozhikode.”
The concept has already caught the attention of local authorities. Corporation officials expressed interest when the idea was first presented two years ago, giving the team early encouragement to push forward.
Kyka is not just about reducing waste — it’s about reshaping access. The primary target audience includes students, night-shift workers, and travellers — groups that often struggle to find affordable food late at night.
With restaurants deciding their own listing timings, the app may even extend beyond late dinners to include surplus breakfast items after morning hours.
“Food shouldn’t end up in bins when there are people willing to buy it, even at midnight,” Nihal adds. “This connects both sides in real time.” The benefits ripple across stakeholders. Restaurants recover part of their costs instead of absorbing losses. Customers get quality food at a fraction of the price. And the city takes a meaningful step toward sustainability by reducing food waste and its environmental impact.
What began as a personal observation in a foreign country is now evolving into a locally rooted solution with global relevance. With early traction and growing partnerships, the Kyka team hopes to expand beyond Kozhikode, offering a scalable model for other cities grappling with the same issue.
