Kea
How Kea pivoted to SMB and now attributes 95% of business to cold outreach
5%
reply rate
95%
business attribution
SMB
pivot executed
"It's quite remarkable what they've been able to achieve for us. Everything ranging from the copy of these outreaches to setting up our email infrastructure."
Joel Foster
Senior Technical Product Manager
Kea is a voice AI company that helps restaurants automate phone orders and reduce labor costs.
Visit websiteRestaurant Technology
Kea partnered with <oneaway> to fill their sales calendar. We handled everything — finding the right prospects, writing the messages, and booking meetings that led to real conversations.
Zero in-house cold email experience. Entire go-to-market motion needed to change overnight after pivoting from mid-market to small business focus.
5% cold email reply rates in a market where restaurant owners barely have time to read emails. 95% of all current business attributed to SMB cold outreach campaigns.
The Challenge
Kea was navigating a major strategic pivot — from mid-market franchise restaurants to small businesses. Their entire go-to-market motion needed to change overnight, and they had zero cold email experience. Worse, their target audience (small restaurant owners) barely has time to read emails.
"We had zero in-house experience on how to do this. Prior with the mid-market approach, it was all bizdev, relationship building, a lot of LinkedIn messages and networking."
Joel Foster
Senior Technical Product Manager
Key Challenges:
- Zero in-house cold email experience
- Entire go-to-market motion needed to change overnight after pivot
- Target audience (small restaurant owners) notoriously hard to reach
- Finding contact info for independent restaurants scattered across the country
The Solution
<oneaway> built Kea's cold email operation from the ground up — infrastructure, lead sourcing, copywriting, and ongoing optimization.
Email Infrastructure
Complete setup and domain management from scratch
Hard-to-Find Lead Sourcing
Found contacts for independent restaurants in places like 'a pizza place in the middle of nowhere in Nebraska'
Industry-Specific Copy
Written to resonate with busy restaurant owners who barely check email
Knowledge Transfer
Equipped Kea's internal team to eventually manage campaigns independently
"You might find a pizza place in the middle of nowhere in Nebraska and somehow <oneaway> was successful in being able to obtain these leads."
Joel Foster
Senior Technical Product Manager
The Results
Kea achieved results that defied expectations for their industry. Cold email now drives 95% of all business — a channel they didn't even have before the partnership.
5%
reply rate
95%
business attribution
SMB
pivot executed
Impact Highlights:
- 5% cold email reply rates in a market where owners barely read emails
- 95% of all current business attributed to SMB cold outreach campaigns
- Successful pivot execution from mid-market to small business focus
- Internal team equipped to manage campaigns independently

"With everything and the expertise that <oneaway> has provided, we're absolutely set up for success."
Joel Foster
Senior Technical Product Manager
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