Bon Appétit Tests Virtual Restaurant Concept
CHICAGO, IL - New foodservice formats are all the rage lately, as consumers’ palates and preferences are seemingly changing with the wind. More companies are testing out different formats that put convenience front and center, and now, famed foodie publication Bon Appétit is throwing its hat in the ring as well. The magazine has teamed up with Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises and Grubhub to expand the former’s virtual restaurant offerings.
The new venture is a convenience-centric delivery model, where consumers place orders from a specially curated menu of delicacies, that are then delivered to them. Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises launched its first virtual restaurant with Grubhub last month, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. The new concept allows chefs and restaurant owners to quickly react to changing food trends, without having to contend with the challenges of brick-and-mortar.
“For those times when you just don’t want to cook, we’re making our favorite things to eat right now available for delivery,” Bon Appétit Editor-in-Chief Adam Rapoport.
Bon Appétit has joined the two companies to offer menu options based on recipes from the magazine, to be served up to the Chicago market. Residents of Lincoln Park, Lakeview, and River North will now have access to lunch and dinner items like cider-braised pork shoulder with butternut squash and rib skewers with peanut-chile oil and bok choy—all available for delivery. Entrees range from $8.95 to $22.95, and are based off of recipes developed by Bon Appétit and Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. With a shifting menu, the virtual restaurant’s offerings will reflect the changing seasons and availability of items.
"We're excited to continue our partnership with Grubhub to offer some of Bon Appetit's most beloved dishes for delivery in Chicago," R.J. Melman, President of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, commented.
The new virtual restaurant, like Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises’ first, will have its food prepared at the company’s existing kitchens at Stratford on the Park in Lincoln Park, and another in River North, the news source reports.
As the world of foodservice continues to expand, will other non-food-producing companies join in? AndNowUKnow will let you know if we ever decide to get in on the game.
