Tacofino’s newest location in Vancouver’s financial district has an ‘express burrito bar’ that will have a vegetarian and meat option that customers can grab and go.
The alternative to a bagged lunch used to be wandering through the closest food court in search of something that wouldn't put you in a digestive coma by 3 p.m., but a spate of new restaurants are placing a priority on elevating the takeaway experience with healthy and sophisticated fare.
In mid-September, Planta Burger, a spinoff of the famed vegan restaurant Planta, opened in Toronto's financial district. While there is seating for approximately 15 in the eatery, the kitchen's focus is on getting its plant-based burgers and sides out fast to customers who are on a time crunch. "Knowing that takeout and food delivery is becoming such a huge part of people's day-to-day routines, we wanted to be able to offer great healthy and sustainable meals to their desk or homes or apartments," says Steven Salm, president of Chase Hospitality Group, which owns Planta and Planta Burger.
A 2016 study conducted by Restaurants Canada found that 27 per cent of Canadians were more likely to visit a restaurant that offers organic or environmentally friendly food, and that 39 per cent of Canadians eat at quick-service restaurants once a week, while 19 per cent order takeout once a week. "People are finding wellness and nutrition and lifestyle an element in their decision making as to what they want to eat," Salm says. "It's great to be supporting them though those decisions."
Chase Hospitality Group will soon be opening another banner, Palm Lane, in Toronto's Yorkville Village. The focus will be salads and veg-based bowls. Like Flock Rotisserie and Greens, which chef Cory Vitiello opened in Toronto's Entertainment District in 2015 and has steadily been expanding with a focus on salads and chicken, Palm Lane will have some seating, but a robust staff to handle fast-paced takeout. "People will see it as a destination and choose to dine in or add it to their busy commuting schedules and grab it on the way home from work or before and after workout," Salm says.
Similarly, in Vancouver, well-known restaurant brand Tacofino – which started as a food truck – recently opened up its latest location, in the Bentall One building on West Pender Street in the city's financial district, with an "express burrito bar" that will have a vegetarian and meat option that customers can grab and go, cutting the eatery's typical wait time to below its current standard, eight mintues.
Knowing the clientele of the downtown core, "where people only have 15 or 20 minutes for lunch and then they have to get back to work," says Tacofino co-founder and chef Jason Sussman, the decision was made to launch an express menu. "We focus on trying to do good-quality, interesting food fast," he says.
"We're using the same produce and meats that David Hawksworth uses in his restaurants," Sussman adds. "We still want to use those great products that everybody gets to use in their $100 dishes, but we want to sell them to everybody and do great things with them."
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