VkusVill taps dark kitchens for hot food delivery service
Russian health food chain VkusVill has launched a new project offering delivery of hot meals.
The service is available via the venture’s mobile app.
Eligible customers will see the addition of a new section — Sgoryacha. Prepared food will be delivered in a thermal container within two hours from when an order is placed.
Hot meals are prepared using dark kitchens. VkusVill currently operates 11 of these in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Volgograd and Cheboksary.
Customers can order the likes of breakfasts, starters and main courses, pastas, burgers, pizzas, meal combos, various kinds of dumplings, and pies.
Meals that are particularly popular include buckwheat with beef in a cream sauce, dumplings with potatoes and mushrooms, pancakes with caramelised milk, and borscht with marbled beef.
Nearly all the items used for food preparation can be found on VkusVill shelves and are available through its online grocery delivery service.
Sergey Pavlov, head of VkusVill’s dark kitchen project, says: “Our customers suggested the idea. A year ago, we conducted a survey that showed that, in addition to refrigerated cuisine, customers wanted hot food that they wouldn’t have to heat up.”
“In addition, the market itself indicated that there was a need for a hot food service. Over the last two years, the food consumption model has changed significantly.”
“Delivery has become a common thing, and people want to order not only milk, vegetables and meat, but also ready made hot dishes.”
