Earlier this week, new subscription lunch app MealPal launched in Philadelphia at a party at the WeWork location on Walnut Street. We were invited but were unable to attend. You can check out some amazing food pictures at the launch party by clicking here.
The app is built to help people find lunch from the best restaurants in the city for under $6 per meal. If you live/work or have lunch in the city often, this sounds like something you should consider as many lunches can easily be $10 or over depending on where you go.
The way MealPal works is users log onto the app from 5pm-9:30am (the day before/day of) to select their lunch for the next day. Each restaurant in the network offers one meal per day. You have a choice from at least 50 restaurants in Center City that are participating in the network right now.
Once you select your meal, you will select a 15-minute time-frame for when you will actually go and pick up the meal. When you go to pick up the meal, you skip the line and tell the restaurant you are there to pick up your MealPal — they may ask for your name or the confirmation email. There is no transaction between the customer and restaurant (no tips required). You simply go and pick up your pre-selected meal. It’s that easy.
MealPal is NOT a delivery service. So, yes, you must go pick up your meal in person. Also keep in mind that lunch is served every weekday, excluding holidays. No weekends. You only get one lunch per day, which should seem obvious. You don’t have to eat at different restaurants; hell, eat at the same restaurant every day. Knock yourself out. Just remember that unused meals do not rollover from cycle to cycle. So use it or lose it.
The list of participating restaurants in Philly so far is actually pretty good. I’m sure as time goes on, more restaurants will sign-up. See full list below.
- Agno Grill
- Ai Ramen
- Aki Sushi
- Almaz Cafe
- Animo Juice & Burrito Bar
- Bar Bombon
- Barra Rossa Ristorante
- Bleu Sushi
- Bubblefish
- Canton 11
- CapoGiro – 13th St.
- CapoGiro – 20th St.
- Cappelli Pizza
- Chestnut Street Philly Bagels
- Cleavers
- Coventry Deli
- Destination Dogs
- Dolce Carini Pizza
- Dos Tacos
- Eat-A-Pita
- Farmer’s Keep
- Fine Palate
- Finn McCool’s Ale House
- Food On First
- Franks A Lot
- Fuel – Walnut St.
- Hai Street Kitchen – 18th St.
- Hai Street Kitchen – Liberty Place
- Hershel’s East Side Deli
- Horn & Hardart
- Jean’s Cafe
- Jimmy John’s – 17th St.
- Kamal’s Middle Eastern
- Kayu Foods
- Masala Kitchen
- Matt & Marie’s – Jefferson
- Matt & Marie’s – Rittenhouse
- MeltKraft – Rittenhouse
- Nanee’s Kitchen
- Nook Bakery & Coffee Bar
- Oh! Shea’s Pub
- Oishii Poke
- Old Nelson Food Market – Chestnut
- Old Nelson II Food Company
- Philadelphia Chutney Co.
- Philly Pretzel Factory – Sansom
- Pure Fare
- Real Food Eatery
- Revolution Taco
- Spicy Memory
- Square on Square
- Tavern On Broad
- The Bards Irish Bar
- The MILK HOUSE
- Top Tomato
- Tuscany Cafe
- Valley Shepherd Creamery & Meltkraft
- Wishbone
- Wokworks
- Wrap Shack
- Wursthaus Schmitz
- Xiandu Thai
- Yoku
- Yummy Sushi
As Technically Philly writes, MealPal even has an artificial intelligence feature called “Pal,” a built-in bot that learns users’ food preferences over time to suggest ideal lunch choices. Somedays I wish someone else would do the thinking for me. I knew, in time, technology would take care of that. And here we are; an app that helps to figure out what you should have for lunch. I like it!
Anyways, I think this app has a lot of potential and certainly has practical use, especially for people who are Center City-based and don’t pack their lunch.
MealPal’s membership is $99/month and is a 30 day subscription that auto-renews.
BONUS GIVEAWAY! WIN 1 FREE MONTH SUBSCRIPTION!
MealPal has graciously offered the opportunity for one of my readers to win a 1-month free subscription on the 12 Meal Plan. All you have to do is tweet at me @PhillyGrub telling me why you’d like to win the subscription. Follow and tag @MealPal on your tweet and use the hashtag #MealPal.
I will choose and announce the winner one week from today on December 9th on Twitter.
Good luck!
Food enthusiast. Travel lover. Social media maven.
Independent Journalist. Food marketing/PR expert.
https://original.newsbreak.com/@marilyn-johnson-1587690
https://phillygrubtrips.wordpress.com/
Email: phillygrub@gmail.com
