Maple, a relative newcomer in the crowded NYC food market, hopes to clear the playing field and as Maple’s Co-Founder and CEO Caleb Merkl hopes offer city dwellers an option that offers “a balanced meal, made from the highest-quality ingredients, all at a price that simply isn’t available elsewhere.”
Its no secret that people in the city just don’t always have time for homemade meals – in fact, New Yorkers cook at home the least of any city in the nation: only 5.5 meals per week, according to a Zagat Survey. So where are they eating? In a delivery industry with as many options as there are restaurants, differences in the services is often marginal.
What makes Maple different than services like Grubhub is that they don’t seek to just be the middleman between customer and restaurant. Maple provides the menu, cooks your food, and delivers it, all using Maple employees. “I’ll tell you exactly why I choose Maple. I see what food I’m ordering, what the ingredients are and I get exactly what was pictured,” comments Jake Allan, a Maple user since its launch last April.
Hungry customers can download the app on their phones or log on to Maple’s website, make an account, and order away. There is a lunch and dinner service offered, each giving the choice between five curated meals. “When Maple launched, we started by offering 3 rotating menu options for lunch and dinner, and quickly expanded the menu to include 2 chef staples in addition to 3 rotating options; this provides a manageable variety, paired with dependable taste and quality,” said Merkl. The best part – no meal will cost you above $15, delivery and tip included.
Since launch, Maple has grown to 4 neighborhoods in Manhattan and has no plans to stop. The formula to their success? “Owning the entire process from ingredient sourcing to delivery, paired with the incredible efficiencies we gain through the use of technology, allows us to capture more margin than almost any other concept. This means we provide customers with a more valuable experience and still maintain a thriving business,” explains Merkl. Backed by culinary heavyweights such as David Chang and Christina Tosi, Maple is out to change how we experience food on to the go.
It’s no question that Maple is growing and people surrounding Manhattan are eager to experience their culinary innovation. “We’re excited to take our next big step, but we’re only going to do so once we’re confident we’re in a spot to scale without sacrificing on the quality of our service,” Merkl said, “Either way, I’m confident that people are going to get to see a lot more of Maple this year.”
For more information visit https://maple.com
Or check out their new blog https://theqa.maple.com/