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One of the biggest dining trends over the last year has been the rise of meal kits. From at-home pasta-making kits to ready-to-bake cookie dough and create-your-own dumplings, restaurants across the city have discovered creative ways to bring in new revenue streams while expanding on current delivery offerings. (You can find 15 of our favorite meal kits in NYC here.)
One new start-up that’s helping restaurants build on that model even more is WEAT. Co-founded by New Yorkers Melanie Brown and Laura Balcazar, WEAT partners with restaurants in the city to help them create “discovery boxes” that feature their signature dishes along with other fun add-ons to create fully immersive experiences. Think: chef-led video tutorials, staff-curated playlists, unique custom packaging and more.
“We see independent restaurants as the center of New York City’s community, culture and creativity,” added Laura Balcazar, co-founder of WEAT. “We care about creating an experience for our customers that goes beyond just enjoying food, but also connecting with who is making your meal and where it is coming from.”
Wanna try it out for yourself? WEAT delivers weekly so it’s a perfect weekend activity (not that you have to make the meals right away or anything). They deliver on Fridays between 3–7pm for orders made by 5pm on Tuesdays, and they’re currently delivering in a 10-mile radius from central Manhattan (Brooklyn and Queens.)
You can check out all of the current offerings on their site which features fun stand-outs like a three-course Indian meal from aRoqa, dumplings and pork buns from 456 Shanghai and a discovery box from Miss Lily’s that will have you feeling like you’re in Jamaica. How do we know? We tried that last one out for ourselves. Check out the video below!
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