Startup Royal Loyal sells to Wichita coffee company
December 6, 2016 | Meghan LeVota
Royal Loyal, which created an app to encourage loyalty at convenience and retail stores, sold to Wichita-based Prairie Fire Coffee, Royal Loyal CEO Babir Sultan said, declining to offer a monetary value.
Royal Loyal’s app allows users to save money and earn free products at various gas stations, fast food and retail stores. The application brings small businesses together who are looking for a more modern technique than punch cards, but can’t afford to build their own independent app.
Sultan said that Royal Loyal had been working with Prairie Fire on a trial basis for the past year. After pitching the technology to several other coffee companies, Sultan said he was thrilled that Prairie Fire Coffee saw the value in his firm.
“The sale makes me feel so relieved,” Sultan said. “In addition to the money, I think the main value is the experience that I gained through Royal Loyal.”
Before founding Royal Loyal in 2014, Sultan for years owned and operated a handful of convenience stores. Seeing the popularity of QuikTrip’s app and the Hy-Vee gas card, Sultan wanted to make his local gas station chain, FavTrip, stand out.
In addition to the loyalty app, Sultan added that Prairie Fire Coffee was attracted to Royal Loyal’s data analytics tool, helping the firm better learn about its customers.
Sultan will continue working with Royal Loyal for the next few months to ease the transition process. In the near future, he plans to continue operating FavTrip — but on the horizon, Sultan plans to give back to the entrepreneurial community.
Sultan said he owes his success to area resources — Royal Loyal received funding and guidance from Digital Sandbox KC and SparkLabKC and Sultan is an E-Scholars graduate— and local mentors.
“I’ve been reaching out to incubators thinking about how I could pay it forward,” Sultan said. “Being able to fund somebody else’s idea would be the most rewarding experience for me right now, and I am looking forward to exploring that.”
Featured Business
2016 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Fried gator to chicken alfredo: Flavors driving KC Cajun to entrepreneur’s next phase
Kansas City businesses should utilize every resource at their disposal to build stronger brands, said Israel England, owner and operator of KC Cajun. “I’m branching out,” England said with confidence as he detailed his coming venture — adapting his KC Cajun catering service into a food truck. “There is so much more room to improve,…
LaunchKC finalists revealed: Kansas City newsmakers and startup stars in the making
A dozen Kansas City tech entrepreneurs are set to compete next month against a mix of firms from across the country — and one startup from Israel — in arguably the city’s most elite and hotly anticipated pitch event of the year. LaunchKC announced its 20 finalists Tuesday — each vying for their piece of…
‘Buddha was a Baller’ seeks to awaken success without overthinking, Mindsport founder says
Buddha had the mind of an athlete, said Ryan Stock. The spiritual sage on whose teachings Buddhism was founded inspired Stock, creator of the MindSport app and a former basketball coach, to put his own thoughts to paper. His book, “Buddha was a Baller,” is set for release Oct. 28, the Kansas City entrepreneur said.…
Pipeline opens applications for 2019 fellowship class, reveals three-city 1MC pitch event
An application for Pipeline’s 2019 fellowship class isn’t just about next year, said Joni Cobb — it’s an opportunity for a lifetime of support from the organization’s network of developing and top-tier entrepreneurs. “Pipeline is available for life for each entrepreneur who successfully completes the fellowship year,” said Cobb, president and CEO of Pipeline, in…