Ordering food through a smartphone is routine for many people, but that convenience has not reached every community equally. In parts of Israel, difficult-to-navigate neighborhoods and limited access to electronic payments have created obstacles for residents trying to use mainstream delivery platforms.
Hasan Abasi saw those problems firsthand and turned them into the foundation for Haat, a company that has grown from a small local service into a competitor in Israel’s food-delivery industry.
The Problem Started With a Pizza Order
Abasi was working for Google in Switzerland when he returned to his hometown of Umm al-Fahm. One evening, he tried to order a pizza, but the courier repeatedly struggled to locate his home.
The experience made him realize that the problem was bigger than one failed delivery.
Some Arab neighborhoods had streets without formal names and houses without standard numbers. Delivery drivers often had to rely on local landmarks, neighborhood names and knowledge of family compounds.
Abasi launched Haat in 2019 with five other people, initially concentrating on Arab-majority towns.
Cash Became a Key Feature
The Haat delivery service also tackled another barrier: payment.
Some lower-income households, particularly in Arab communities, do not have easy access to electronic payment methods. Haat therefore allowed customers to place orders through an app while paying the courier in cash.
That feature has remained one of the company’s major differences from larger competitors.
The service has since attracted users in mixed communities, including Jaffa. Haat has also introduced cash payments for certain utility and telephone bills.
Turning Local Knowledge Into Digital Maps
Navigation became another area where Haat developed its own technology.
Couriers collected information about streets, buildings and entrances that were not properly represented by standard mapping systems. The company then used machine learning to identify and organize the information.
Haat says its maps cover 30% more streets in the communities where it operates than other mapping platforms.
The mapping work has had applications beyond food delivery. In Umm al-Fahm, Haat helped support a municipal effort to formally name streets and number houses.
The improvements could also benefit postal and emergency services in areas where navigation has historically been difficult.
More Visibility for Small Restaurants
The platform has also changed how some smaller restaurants reach customers.
Krunchy Chicken, a fried chicken business that began in Baqa al-Gharbiyye, initially relied heavily on word of mouth. According to manager Sharif Masarweh, Haat helped increase the restaurant’s online exposure.
The ability to pay with cash also expanded the number of customers who could conveniently place orders.
That illustrates how the company’s approach affects more than consumers. By bringing previously difficult-to-reach neighborhoods into its delivery network, Haat can also give small restaurants access to customers beyond their immediate surroundings.
Taking on Israel’s Leading Platform
Haat now operates in 50 cities and works with more than 10,000 restaurants and markets. The company employs more than 500 couriers and has been valued at more than $100 million, according to its communications team.
The Haat delivery service has recently expanded into Tel Aviv, putting it into direct competition with Wolt.
Rather than competing solely through scale, the company says its advantage comes from understanding local communities and identifying gaps that larger platforms may overlook.
From a Local Fix to a Growing Business
What began with a delivery driver struggling to find one address has developed into a technology business serving customers across Israel.
Haat’s experience demonstrates how practical local problems can create opportunities for new digital services. Its combination of cash payments, neighborhood mapping and local restaurant access has helped it build a distinct position in Israel’s increasingly competitive delivery market.
