Chef David Chang feels our collective pain over disappointing delivery meals, from the soggy french fry to the sauce spillage that makes a mess. The man behind the Momofuku empire has decided to change that, if he can, with the launch of a new delivery service dubbed Maple. Together with business partners William Gaybrick, Caleb Merkl and Akshay Navle—who all have a background in delivery, mobile technology and finance, according to the Times—Chang will seek to reinvent the delivery wheel of depression, promising quick delivery times and special packaging to make the process simpler and better executed.
Unlike traditional restaurants, which "don't focus on home delivery," as noted by Merkl, Maple will deliver chef-created meals from commissary kitchens, which will number between 15 and 30 depending on how many people sign up for the app. As chief culinary officer, it's Chang's job to find chefs interested in working on the startup, plus partner with local food purveyors to supply ingredients for the dishes. Each day, the menu will change, with dishes running between $12 and $15, including tax, tip and delivery, according to Grub Street.
Using a computer algorithm, the designers hope to cut down on delivery times by strategically placing their commissary kitchens in areas with the most users. "Our goal is 15 minutes," explained Merkl, practically less time than it takes most of us to decide on our Seamless orders. "Our delivery area will be incredibly tight." Tight enough to be focused on Manhattan when it rolls out at some point early next year. For now, users can register their email addresses for more information closer to launch time.
