Westfield Valley Fair Teams With Kitchen United
Westfield Valley Fair, a shopping center in Silicon Valley, is partnering with Kitchen United, a ghost kitchen company, to deliver a streamlined, multi-restaurant ordering solution.
“Our partnership with Kitchen United introduces a new and convenient way for guests to experience their favorite food items on the go, while also driving increased revenue to our restaurant partners,” said Kate Diefenderfer, director of marketing for Westfield Valley Fair, in a statement.
“With the flexibility to place one order with multiple restaurants simultaneously, regardless of location, restaurants have the ability to capitalize on the demand for food to go, while our guests receive a customized dining experience,” she added.
The partnership will bring the MIX platform, Kitchen United’s multi-concept ordering technology, to the shopping center format. Kitchen United houses multiple restaurant brands under one roof for delivery and takeout.
Restaurants located within Valley Fair can use the MIX platform to process orders for pickup lockers or delivery. A new state-of-the-art vertical conveyor belt will transport orders from a second-floor dining area to pick-up lockers or to the first-floor pickup station for delivery drivers.
Participating restaurants that will be available on the Kitchen United MIX website and the Westfield app include Koja Kitchen, Pizza My Heart, Big Fish Little Fish, Men Oh Ramen, Haagen Dazs and more.
“MIX unlocks incremental, off-premise demand for the restaurants at this Westfield location that are faced with indoor dining limitations amid the pandemic,” said Atul Sood, the chief business officer of Kitchen United.
Sood added that the company has improved its hardware and technology solutions by applying lessons learned “from successfully operating our kitchen centers across the country.” The tools can be used by a “myriad of business models to deliver an exceptional to-go food experience.”
Westfield Valley Fair in California’s Silicon Valley is an intersection of luxury brands, restaurants, retail startups and entertainment. Colin Shaughnessy, executive vice president at commercial real estate firm Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and U.S. leasing chief at its Westfield malls division, said the location attracted 42 new retailers and restaurants last year alone.
Digital dining and ghost kitchens have quickly escalated due to the coronavirus pandemic, as have digital-only concept stores, enhanced drive-thru, and curbside or delivery ventures. Chipotle, Red Lobster, Starbucks, McDonald’s and others have unveiled new store concepts.
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