The food industry is undergoing a tech revolution. With food apps, meal kit services and robotic chefs, it’s now easier than ever to find the perfect meal with the swipe of a finger or click of the mouse. Check out how these five Boston companies are keeping customers’ bellies full with their tech.
More businesses are looking to include catered lunches in their benefits packages. But it’s hard to find the right vendor to meet your people’s preferences. EzCater, an online marketplace of catering companies, gives businesses many more options at their fingertips — and it also provides reliable catered meals, on demand, for businesses in cities across the U.S.
It can often be a hassle to find time to dine out at restaurants. Foodler sidesteps the reservation times and crowded tables, allowing its users to order food for delivery or takeout from thousands of restaurants. Founded in Boston with services in cities like Chicago, New York and more, the app and website provides a list of restaurants in each person’s neighborhood, the estimated delivery time and menu.
GoPapaya is an app that brings bargain hunting to the restaurant business. Restaurants can post exclusive offers in real time to fill open tables immediately during slow hours. Meanwhile, last-minute diners can scour the app to find the best deals and seats at delicious restaurants in their town as long as they arrive within 30 to 45 minutes. The app rewards spontaneity and helps restaurants attract new customers.
Healthy eating doesn’t need to be a chore. Much like Blue Apron and other meal delivery services, The Purple Carrot delivers a meal kit once a week, but with a twist — all its meals are plant based. Subscribers can select a plan and expect a package each week crafted around a new meal. The company’s goal is to make cooking vegetarian easier and tastier than ever with its unique recipe list, and easy-to-follow instructions.
Spyce was borne out of a brainstorming session among MIT college athletes too busy to cook and tired of greasy fast food meals. The result was a self-service restaurant that provides healthy, restaurant-quality meals at the price and speed of fast food. The culinary team devises recipes out of locally sourced foods, and the fully automated kitchen delivers it fresh to the customer. Its goal is to transform the fast food industry.
