Earlier this spring, restaurateur extraordinaire Mohamad Fakih was all set to launch his latest casual dining concept, Box’d, in the Financial District. And then along came Covid-19, effectively putting those plans on hold. The CEO of Paramount Fine Foods says growing up in Lebanon during a civil war gives him some perspective on the current crisis. Here, he explains what Box’d is, how it works, and why he’s not scared to open a new business during a global pandemic. (Toronto Life)
Box’d, the brainchild of Paramount Fine Foods CEO Mohamad Fakih, is being billed as Canada’s first fully-automated restaurant. Inspired by the flavours of the Middle East, Box’d has a variety of cold and hot foods on the menu – including Paramount’s signature hummus served a variety of ways. To order food, customers have the option to either use the restaurant’s automated kiosks, scan a QR code on their smartphones and place their order through their phone, or pre-order from home. Just because the system is automated doesn’t mean there aren’t real people hard at work. Box’d will have a number of chefs preparing fresh meals for its customers. (City News)
The automat, where freshly made food once appeared from a vending machine at the drop of a coin, could hold an answer to the conundrum of contactless dining. There’s Box’d in Toronto, an automated restaurant opening this week, and a New York dumpling shop set to launch next month. In the midst of a pandemic, some restaurateurs are riffing on a relic to create something contemporary.(The SUnTimes)
