As restaurants either shut down or stay open during these unprecedented times, many are coming up with innovative solutions to keeping their businesses afloat. While some are doing takeout and delivery, others are resorting to selling meal kits, or ingredients, in bulk.
With social distancing in effect, more free-time, and less dining out, people have taken up the hobby of cooking. Many Americans today have been sharing cooking recipes online, having recipe swaps over email, or conducting cooking demonstrations on social media.
Due to the high demand for groceries and the popularity of cooking, restaurants are taking advantage of this by selling groceries and meal kits.
The popular fast-casual restaurant chain, Just Salad, has recently launched a grocery program, Just Grocery. This new program is a New York City delivery service that offers same-day delivery of plant-based products, vegetables and fruit, nuts and grains, and produce.
If you’re in the mood to try one of your favorite Just Salad meals, order a DIY meal kit, which comes complete with fresh ingredients and a recipe card available on the website!
Another popular chain restaurant that has come up with a grocery program is Panera Bread. Panera’s program, Panera Grocery, offers customers the ability to purchase groceries including milk, bread, fresh produce, soups, salads, or sandwiches.
Visit the Panera app or website to place your order. Panera is taking every health precaution by offering contactless delivery, rapid pick-up, drive-up, drive-through, and contactless delivery through GrubHub.
Many Italian eateries and pizzerias across the country are offering pizza kits for their customers. Of those is Best Pizza in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. According to Mental Floss, Best Pizza is selling DIY pizza packs with dough, pizza sauce, and housemade mozzarella.
An additional Italian eatery offering DIY meal kits is Rezdôra in NYC, selling handmade pasta and sauces to be prepared at home.
If you’re interested in cooking one night, check-in with your local restaurant to see if they are selling any groceries or meal kits. For a full list of NYC restaurants currently selling groceries, see the Infatuation’s list here