Every click counts

Multi-supplier orders in a single click are a standout feature of the Stokd platform, putting simplicity at the centre of procurement for cafés.

At first glance, a well-designed app can look deceptively simple. A clean interface, a few intuitive taps, and an effortless experience. But creating that magic requires a complex blend of software engineering and industry expertise – with a large dose of tenacity.

For Joseph Stock, ‘simplicity’ was the north star when developing the wholesale supply ordering platform Stokd. Conceived seven years ago and launched in 2025, it’s produced an unexpected paradox: the platform is so easy to use that its underlying sophistication often goes unnoticed.

“I’m a pastry chef and it’s designed to be simple for hospitality venues – quick to navigate, easy to click what you need, and then you’re done. But behind the scenes it’s extremely complex, analysing data and sending orders to the right suppliers based on your area and existing relationships,” he says.

“One of the biggest challenges of bringing this to market has been finding the right external technical partner, and when we finally did the concept came to life and early adopters are loving it.”

Stokd comes with many features that help cafés collectively streamline ordering, manage stock levels, connect with suppliers, access real-time cost visibility, view historical spending trends, and handle invoices.

One of Joseph’s proudest features is one-click ordering, removing the hassle and frustration of sourcing products from multiple suppliers to keep costs down.

“Growing up, we lived pretty tight, and my mum would collect supermarket pamphlets, circle the best deals from each store, and then shop around to get the best prices,” he says.

“Many hospitality owners face a similar scenario when, for example, they want to order milk, eggs, avocados, raspberries and other fruit and veg. We can facilitate this in a one-click checkout.

“You select each of these products in our app, hit ‘analyse’, and you’ll be presented with five options to choose from. You can submit the order and process it through the checkout. Some items will go through your trade accounts, while others will be paid by card as a single transaction – but behind the scenes, the system is generating separate invoices for each individual supplier.”

The platform is simultaneously performing a cost analysis, ensuring venues secure the best price. In the face of rising operational costs, Joseph says venues are thinking more transactionally about their supplier relationships.

“As an owner of three venues, I see chefs punch through orders without thinking – it’s only $20, so they’ll just order from one supplier. But when you multiply that across weekly averages over a year, and then across thousands of SKUs some suppliers carry, the impact becomes massive.”

The platform is still in its infancy, but its simplicity has Joseph confident that it’ll gain significant momentum in the next one to two years. As more venues begin using the app, more suppliers will organically be added. Not only does it reduce costs for venues, but it exposes suppliers to new customers.

“We base our model on a venue’s existing suppliers – customers can invite their suppliers to join so they keep the same relationships, but gain the ability to compare products more effectively and see what’s actually available,” Joseph says.

“In restaurants, you often get deliveries with items marked as ‘zero stock’, which is incredibly frustrating. In our app, you can’t place an order if the product isn’t available; if one supplier is out, it automatically redirects to another, so you still receive what you need.

“The more venues that use it, the more suppliers that join. We operate as an open marketplace: if your neighbouring café invites a supplier, that supplier becomes visible to you as long as your postcodes overlap. Suppliers load the postcodes they deliver to, upload their products, and the app displays what’s available to each venue based on delivery areas.”

Joseph is funding Stokd through two main streams: taking a percentage of each invoice generated and a $10-a-week subscription for venues.

“It offers strong value when you consider the savings the platform can deliver. We’re also very open to customer feedback – what’s working, what’s not, and what could be improved.” 

For more information, visit stokd.com