Can’t decide what you want for your midday meal? A lunch membership service is launching in Chicago that will give downtown workers the chance to sample from 75 spots every weekday.
MealPass, which started up earlier this year in New York, San Francisco, Boston and Miami, has rebranded as MealPal and launches in Chicago and Washington, D.C., today.
Here’s how it works: For $119 a month, users will be able to choose a single meal from one of 63 participating restaurants (some have multiple locations) Monday through Friday. There are two additional less-costly plan tiers, too: $79 for 12 meals per month or $42 for 6.
Once a user registers, they’ll go to the MealPal website by 9:30 a.m. every weekday and select their food and a 15-minute window in which they’ll pick it up. Most of the restaurants are in the Loop and River North, and a majority are quick-service chains like Protein Bar, Just Salad and Freshii. But there are also a handful of Chicago favorites like The Fat Shallot, Peach & Green and Goddess and the Baker. The restaurants reveal their dishes at 5 p.m. the day before they’re served. Participating restaurants will offer only one lunch dish a day to the service.
The founders say the service allows people to sample new spots they may not frequent at a cheaper price. (The daily plan works out to $6 per meal.) There are some drawbacks, though: Having to decide on lunch by 9:30 a.m. means no last-minute changes and setting a delivery window could be problematic if, say, you get held up at work.
MealPal co-founder Mary Biggins, who also co-founded fitness membership service ClassPass, says that most restaurants will be flexible if someone arrives late to pick up their food, as long as it’s within reason.
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Biggins said the company will expand the number of restaurants users can try as the service gets up and running in Chicago. In New York, MealPal now has about 300 restaurants. Lunch business in the restaurant industry has declined in recent years as more people work remotely.
MealPal renamed itself because of the new features and data analysis it now offers, Biggins says, including more thorough filtering for meal choices. Users will be able to design a profile to focus on healthy food, portion size and cuisine. The service is also now able to sync with users’ calendars so it can remind them to lock in their lunch orders.
The company also will track reviews, so it can adjust its restaurant list based on customer demand.
Twitter @SamWillTravel