Ritual is Helping Residents Explore the Food Scene with Eats Week Toronto
The power of technology to help citizens explore what their city has to offer is expanding in new and, in this case, delicious ways.
Ritual has debuted Eats Week Toronto, a digital food festival based in their hometown that allows users to save up to 50 per cent off some of Toronto’s best restaurants and cafes. In total, over 550 different vendors are taking part, and in order to take advantage, users simply have to search for folders through the Ritual app then checkout using Apple Pay.
Included in the promotion are independent local spots, chains, high-end bistros and corner dives. The aim is to let users get out and explore an option they may not have tried otherwise.
“Think of it as an on-demand restaurant week,” said Ritual CEO Ray Reddy. “Using Ritual and Apple Pay, customers not only gain access to hundreds of deals at the best cafes and restaurants in the city, but have an easy and more secure way to get their food fast—with just a touch or a glance.”
Ritual bills themselves as a social ordering app that lets users find new restaurants or cafes and order ahead, all while earning rewards points. There is no delivery in Ritual’s service, as users must go collect the food themselves. They recently introduced a Piggyback feature that allows several people to order together, pay separately, and have one person go and collect everything, amassing extra rewards on the way.
The implementation of Apple Pay with the promotion is a way to keep users informed of the various contactless payment methods they have access to. It amounts to picking something to eat through the app, confirming identity with Apple Pay then heading out to grab your choice.
This move by Ritual is the latest to help illustrate how an app can enable citizens to explore what has always been in front of them. Ritual recently teamed up with the City of Toronto to offer vouchers for restaurants along King Street in downtown. A new transit pilot removed a massive amount of vehicle traffic, and though that pilot actually had little effect on business, Ritual and the city partnered to let residents get a free meal on the street.
Ritual has had a lot of success over the past few years, especially in their hometown. Late last year they raised a $43.5 million Series B and they continue to expand into new neighbourhoods and cities, with a distinct focus on U.S. locations.
Eats Week Toronto will conclude on March 9.
