Urbery (“Urban” + “Grocery”) is an on-demand grocery and alcohol delivery service that serves the downtown core of Toronto. The company was founded in 2014 by Mudit Rawat, who understood the challenges of living downtown, and not owning a vehicle, and therefore created the start-up to help those who faced the same challenges. His company offers same day delivery, and promises to deliver groceries and alcohol products to customers' doorsteps in under two hours.

The customer demographics that Urbery catered more to are the young professionals, busy families with disposable incomes, and the elderly. The service itself would be helpful to those who have busy work or family life, and they may not have the time to go grocery shopping every week. It would also be a helpful service if the person doesn't own a vehicle while living downtown. Personally, I don't drive, and it can be a hassle to carry heavier grocery products on the TTC. Most of the time, I'd have to rely on my SO to drive me to the grocery stores, or used Uber. This takes up his time, and also the costs added up really quickly whenever I used Uber to run errands. In these instances, I'd much rather use a service that would deliver right to my door steps instead. This would be where Urbery comes in.

Check out their FAQs if you have any questions.

Earlier last month, I had the opportunity to try the service. I opted to order using the Urbery website, but they do have an IOS app available in Apple's App Store , and on Android's Google Play as well. I found the service to be quite reliable, and convenient, as I don't drive. My "Grocery Guru" was able to get to me within the one hour time-frame that was requested (6 pm to 7 pm). However, four of my original items that I wanted were unavailable at the grocery store, so my Grocery Guru had to substitute the products. The only thing that I wasn't too pleased with was that I wanted mints - and I got gum instead. Other than that, most of the products that he substituted were pretty similar, so I was happy with the overall purchase. Lastly, there was constant communication over texts in regards to the substitution.



I found the overall shopping process to be rather seamless, and easy to use. All you need to do is select the items that you want to buy from a list of over 10,000 grocery and alcoholic products, and then put them in your cart to check-out. Then, one of Urbery's "Grocery Guru" will shop for your order at your favorite grocery store, and bring your order right to your front door or office. You're also given a one-hour delivery window of when the groceries can be delivered to you giving you free time to do whatever you desire. There was also the option to schedule future deliveries as well, so it doesn't have to be same-day delivery. Additionally, Urbery differentiates themselves from their competitors by offering live interaction with your guru, so you're able to track the progress of your order in real-time on your smartphone.



"We offer our customer a freeing experience by offering the gift of time, super convenience and extremely personalized service. So many people are overwhelmed juggling the demands of day-to-day life. We believe in giving people more time for what matters by letting them outsource their grocery and alcohol shopping to us so they can relax with their friends, their kids, or their loved ones doing something they really enjoy," says Mudit Rawat, CEO and founder, Urbery. "We're dedicated to providing the most personalized and trusted grocery and alcohol delivery service available, making the experience of a personal shopper accessible to everyone."  (source: MarketWired)


Delivery fee is based on the order size and can run from $9.99 for orders under $40, orders between $40 to $64.99 are $5.99, and any orders over $65 (before tax) are free. Note that there is also an added $10 cost for any orders that include alcohol. Urbery is also a cashless platform, so everything (including your Guru's tips) are paid online as they take various form of payments including PayPal, and most credit cards.

You can also use promo code STAYINGIN to get $25 off your first order over $65 (not applicable to alcohol due to AGCO rules and restrictions).

Some of the items that was purchased online using Urbery.com.

 [Updated: Wednesday, May 25, 2016]

Ritual is a smartphone app that people can use to pre-order their meals or coffee for pick up. They recently introduced an updated reward program, which I think will please many of their frequent users. Now when you order lunch or dinner at your favorite restaurants on Ritual, you collect points that can be redeemed for $ towards free food and drinks at any partner on their network. 

Ritual members will receive 10 points per every $1 spent on regular purchases on Ritual for coffee and meals. Once, you have collected 10,000 points, you are free to redeem it for $10 towards any Ritual partners. More information on the reward program here.

Everyday Benefits

10 points per $1 on purchases
Frequent offers to earn up to 3000 points on many purchases
You can get up to 20x points on certain purchases
 Access to Ritual exclusives like secret menus, member-only events, and more

Ritual Elites

Make 8 purchases a month to unlock and maintain Ritual Elite status.
 1.5x the points on regular purchases
A dedicated concierge on stand-by to assist with your orders
Special recognition from partners and an enhanced app experience
A surprise on your birthday (1000 points)  


1000 Points

Once you've collected 10,000 points you can start redeeming them towards your favorite food at any restaurant. No fees, no strings attached. 




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 Cashless payments have become more prominent these past few years, as the world is now more digitally advanced. Personally, I have several apps downloaded on my iPhone to make life easier for myself. So, I was interested in using the app when I was first introduced to Ritual, a new mobile food ordering app. The Toronto-based app, Ritual, was launched earlier this year. The one thing that stands out about this app among their competitors is that they're catering more to the urban professionals working in the downtown core of Toronto.

The app aims to eliminate the amount of time needed to wait in lines, and to make the overall takeout process more seamless. Most young professionals (like myself, and others) have only an hour for lunch, and I am sure they do not want to spend most of their lunchtime waiting in lines. This would be where Ritual would come in handy, as ordering lunch can be done in three simple steps (as shown in the cartoon below).

Additionally, the app uses location services, so it will give you a list of the closest restaurants within the vicinity of your current location. I was given the opportunity to try out the Ritual app for lunch, and one of the closest restaurants to me at the time was Banh Mi Boys. All payments are made within the Ritual app, as your credit card information are safely encrypted, so there are no need to bring out your wallet or cash.  Overall, I found the Ritual app to be user-friendly, and has well designed functions.

Ordering was super easy! I browsed through Banh Mi Boy's menu, and selected my food items. I was then taken to a screen where I customize my orders (spice level), and also had the option to add sides. I completed the transaction, and was quickly taken to the "Review" page where I was able to see the total owed, and had the option to tip as well. Once that was completed, I clicked on the "Place Order" button below, and waited for the real-time notifications to let me know when I should leave the office. The whole ordering process was quick, and my food order was ready for pick-up as soon as I arrived at the restaurant.

Banh Mi Boys

The One That Got Away



 To get started, just download the free Ritual app on the Apple Store, or Google Play, set up your account and profile, and plug in your credit card payment information. Don't forget to turn on the phone's location services, as Ritual uses your current location to prepare orders at the right time so your order will be ready when you arrive.

Lastly, Ritual encourages all users to use social media by using the hashtag #myRitual to showcase their food. Feel free to check out all uploaded photos IG using this hashtag at https://instagram.com/explore/tags/myRitual/.

Social Media

Download: App Store
Instagram: https://instagram.com/ritual_co
Website: http://www.ritual.co/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ritual_co

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Disclaimer: The food provided in this post was completely subsidized by Ritual. However, all of the opinions expressed in this review are of my own.

One of the things that I anticipate going to the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) for every year is probably  The Food Building (no surprise there). "The building has become a hub for innovative and quirky food experiences", with several vendors returning this year to serve traditional fair favorites and inventive items. [source: http://thefoodbuilding.ca/about/]. This year, they have released an app that makes life a lot easier for those who want to order ahead, and basically skip the line at the Food Building.



The team behind Grabb have created a FREE app that allows CNE goers to pre-order, and pre-pay for their food items inside of the Food Building. The app has a similar interface as their Grabb app, as it allows users to browse through the list of vendors inside of The Food Building (with descriptions of the food, and prices). Basically, by using this app, it allows the users to discover the best and popular food items, while skipping the lines, and going wallet-less. If you already have the Grabb app downloaded like I do, then there's no need to download this new one, as you also use Grabb at the CNE's The Food Building.

Additionally, there are quite a few vendors this year who are cash only, so this app allows customers to pay with various payment methods like Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, PayPal and Visa Debit.

The list of vendors that you can order from on either The Food Building or Grabb apps include Far East Taco, Pho 88, Fran’s Restaurant, Pull’d, Epic Burgers & Waffles, Jake’s Lobster, St. Louis, Mac N Cheesery, Just Cone It, Ye Olde Fudge Pot, Bouchard’s Poutinery, and The Funnel Cake Shop.

Download: 



      The App:    Step 1: Click Order Now!

Step 2: Browse Through Restaurants. 

Step 3: Browse the Menu. 

Step 4: Effortlessly Order and Pay. 

Bon Appétit =)

Social Media:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/thefoodbuilding/

Disclaimer: Information provided courtesy of The Food Building

Zomato recently launched operations in Toronto earlier last week, and the app is now live. What is Zomato? It is an online restaurant discovery guide that has a great following in many cities in countries of India, Turkey, New Zealand, Portugal, United Kingdom, and many more. The Toronto section is their first venture into the North America market of food review apps. The service is available on both the web at https://www.zomato.com/ and mobile (iPhone, Windows Phone, Android, or Blackberry). More information on the mobile apps can be found here.

The team behind the Toronto section of Zomato has taken the time to curate detailed information for over 11,000 restaurants in the GTA. Not only does it offer information on restaurants; it also allows users to create and build a personal network with other fellow foodies. They have incorporated various social features that allow interactions between users (such as follow people, like their reviews, comment on the reviews, upload pictures of the food, etc ...).

Zomato also has a section on the main page where it will suggest nearby restaurants that are based on specific categories such as steakhouses, gourmet pizza, or even pocket friendly.

All users and business owners have access to all restaurant information on Zomato. The information is updated by the Zomato team monthly to make sure that all information are up to date.


I downloaded the app from the Apple Store earlier this week, and tested it out myself. I found the app interface to clean and easy to access around the information. All information on each restaurant are clearly displayed with the address, the Geo-location, menu, reviews and photos uploaded by various users. The app also allows users to bookmark, check in, rate the restaurant or even check it off if you have been there before.

Website: https://www.zomato.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/zomato

Photo screenshots of the app are credited to Zomato.

Tab is a recent Toronto startup that aims to make dining out seamlessly easy. The free app has been out for a couple of months now, and can be downloaded in both the App Store and Google Play. Tab has partnered up with several restaurants where customers can pay their bills with the Tab app; eliminating the use of a physical credit card, or cash.

It's very easy to pay with Tab, and it can be done in 3 steps.

1) Check-in (create or join a tab).

2) Tell your server ("I am paying with Tab").

3) Enjoy your meal and pay with Tab at the end of the meal.

The app is very easy to use once you set up a profile (don't forget to add a picture of yourself and credit card information). Have the app opened when you're dining at one of the participating restaurants, and the location finder will automatically geolocate the restaurant on the app. Tab is pretty much a mobile wallet that not only allows you to pay/tip using your phone, but you can also split the bill amongst your friends (granted that they use Tab as well).

Last week Wednesday, I arrived at Copacabana Brazilian Steakhouse around 7:30 pm for dinner, and was promptly shown to my seat. I am currently working on my full-review of Copacabana Brazilian Steakhouse, which will be up soon.

Our server arrived at our table, and we told her that we were paying with Tab that night. She brought out the Tab-provided iPad and found our profiles on Copacabana's list of diners, and started our Tab. This was my first time trying out the app, but I thought that the app's interface was very sleekly designed, and it wasn't hard to use. Nearby restaurants are displayed clearly (with their address, how far they are from your current location) when you have your location settings on.


I found that by using Tab; it did provide a more personalized experience. Our server's photo and name were clearly displayed in the app, and our names were on it too. Depending on the customer service provided; you can also customize the tip by going into Payment => Default Tip to enter the tip percentage.



After we finished our meal, we checked out and paid with Tab. My receipt was emailed to me right away with the breakdown of the cost (including price of meal, tax, tip, and credits). The price at Copacabana was set, so it was easy to check the breakdown of the bill. However, I am not sure if the Tab bill will provide the breakdowns of every item ordered at other establishments with individual prices. However, the overall process of paying was quick, and we left soon after with no problems. Thanks to both Tab and Uber for hosting a fun event!

Bonuses:

New to Uber? Click here and get $20 off your first ride by using promo code NOWALLETWED.

 $10 Off Tab? Use my promo code TABLE0BB to get $10 off your first Tab meal.


Twitter: https://twitter.com/tabpayments 
Instagram: http://instagram.com/tabpayments/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tabpayments

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Disclaimer: The food provided in this post was completely subsidized by Tab. However, all of the opinions expressed in this review are of my own.