A new site allows companies to arrange meal delivery for their teams from multiple places in a single order.
By Rayna Katz
After working remotely for 18 months, and growing accustomed to the creature comforts of home, New York City’s office denizens likely aren’t having the easiest time reporting back to their desks. But the recent introduction of a unique platform for ordering that office lunch (or breakfast…or dinner for early risers and late-stayers) is helping companies and office building managers soften the blow of the transition.
The Kitchclub, a ‘ghost kitchen’—or commercial facility that serves food from multiple restaurants—specifically for offices allows companies or office building management to order multiple meals, individually packaged and from a variety of restaurants, all in one place and for one delivery.
The website allows workers to get what they really want, rather than what everyone else is having, said CEO and co-founder Carolyn Vahey. “Before, if you wanted to choose from multiple brands, you had to go to multiple places. Now you can go to a user-friendly website and arrange one seamless delivery [compared to a never ending parade of drop-offs from Seamless, or other third-party delivery services that provide one meal at a time].”
She added, “The feedback we get the most is that it’s so convenient for companies to order from multiple restaurants at the same time and satisfy every person in the company.” Vahey has partnered for the venture with Helah Kehati, a veteran catering and restaurant professional who is now Kitchclub’s chief culinary officer.
Currently Kitchclub delivers around Manhattan, Brooklyn, Long Island City and New Jersey, serving up Italian food, sushi, Poke and rotisserie chicken. Additionally, customers can order off the platform from local favorite eateries, including La Esquina, Cutlets, Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken and Mission Chinese. More restaurants are being added to the platform too, including Fortunato, Mister Poke, Tisserie and Plant’d. The company is based in Manhattan but is adding a Brooklyn location, allowing it to provide even more service to the borough, and another in Stamford, CT.
Companies or building managers can sign on to the tool for a one-time treat, occasional ordering or a regular offering, but no subscription is required. Orders can be placed by a designated person or each worker can submit what they want for a meal. The minimum order is $150.
The platform is aiming to deliver a side of flexibility with its offerings. “Food has become such an integral part of how people interact and how companies retain talent,” said Vahey. “We saw a void between traditional catering and how people eat, and our goal is to provide a user-friendly interface that meets the needs of today's workforce."
Though not mission-critical for Kitchclub, the service also makes meals more affordable for companies because the bulk ordering keeps costs lower for the food providers.
Another plus to Kitchclub is that bringing in food from multiple places with one delivery reduces the number of people coming in and out of office buildings, Vahey noted.
“This allows for less interaction with security personnel and reduced elevator traffic throughout the building. Building management’s desire to have less courier foot traffic has only increased with safety precautions brought on by COVID-19.”
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