BWW Preview: LUNCHSPREAD for Free Lunch Samples and Delivery in Manhattan

"Lunchspread" is marketing tool that helps independent restaurants acquire new customers through targeted free samples to local offices in New York City. Lunchspread has some similarities to the concept for Birchbox, the popular cosmetic supply, but it is designed for area businesses to enjoy restaurant delivery. The company and business model has some distinctive and positive differences in their approach. For example, food samples are completely free (not for $10 a box), and the restaurants prepare and deliver the samples themselves. Lunchspread does not handle the fulfillment.

Lunchspread users simply go to www.lunchspread.com and fill out a a quick survey with a group of between 4-10 people. Lunchspread matches them up with one of their partner restaurants and schedules a convenient time for delivery. Since they just launched, the time from sign up to first delivery can range from a couple days to a couple weeks depending on availability in the area. Lunchbox has restaurants between the areas of 14th and 57th street in Manhattan that include Sticky's, Boqueria, Tappo, Sergimmo Salumeria and Choza Taqueria..

Lunchspread was launched in November of 2015 and the company is growing fast. They currently have over 25 restaurants and more than 2,000 office workers on the platform already.

About the Founder Andy Wang

Prior to founding Lunchspread, Andy Wang worked at Savored and Groupon on their Reserve (reservations) and To Go (delivery & takeout) product. During Wang's time at these companies, he realized even the best restaurants needed to constantly acquire new customers. But the vast majority did absolutely no marketing because the current tools available were ineffective. Expensive Yelp ads and Groupon deals only make sense for merchants with high customers' lifetime values (dentists, salons, etc). Wang asked restaurants how they wanted to market and they simply said, "Just have them taste my food!" and Lunchspread was born.

For more information or to sign up for the Lunchspread program, visit: http://www.lunchspread.com/.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lunchspread