Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises opens Whole30-branded virtual restaurant

Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises — the Chicago-based, 130-unit restaurant group — has announced the opening of a Whole30-branded virtual restaurant in Chicago in partnership with Grubhub. The delivery-only restaurant, called Whole30 Delivered, offers Whole30 approved meals based on the trendy lifestyle diet that emphasizes whole foods and the elimination of temptations like added sugar and alcohol.

“We are thrilled to be working with two great organizations — Whole30 and Grubhub — in putting together what we think is a very different delivery-only concept,” R.J. Melman, Lettuce Entertain You’s president, told Nation’s Restaurant News. “We think Whole30 is a great step forward for delivery-only kitchens.” 

Whole30 Delivered menu items include grain, sugar, legumes and dairy-free recipes created in collaboration with LEYE chefs such as Thai chicken-coconut-curry soup, Melissa’s Buffalo Chicken Salad, "spaghetti and meatballs" made with spaghetti squash and chicken meatballs, and roasted chicken tikka masala for an average price of $5.95 for side dishes like cauliflower rice to $13.95-$22.95 for entrees.

"While we love teaching participants how to cook Whole30 meals at home, it's a game-changer to have accessible, compliant, fast options for busy days," Melissa Urban, co-founder and CEO of Whole30, said in a statement. "As a single mom and CEO, I'm already imagining how Whole30 Delivered could save the day with delicious, hearty meals when meetings run late or I'm traveling a lot."

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Dishes will be made in one of two ghost kitchens in the River North and Mid-North District neighborhoods in Chicago, and delivery is available from Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 3:30 to 9 p.m.

The virtual restaurants will also offer deals like a "dinner for tonight, lunch for tomorrow" promotion that provides a discount on ordering multiple meals at once.

Delivery and quick-service meals made with the Whole30 diet in mind are trending: Chipotle announced a new meal category in January for “lifestyle bowls” to promote burrito bowl options for customers following trendy diets, including the Whole30 diet.

Lettuce Entertain You confirmed that there are currently no further plans to expand the Whole30 Delivered concept to other cities.

Contact Joanna Fantozzi at [email protected]

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