Meal-plan co. moves into fast food

A company that ships meals in bulk to customers’ homes is giving a quick-service restaurant format a try. The Fresh Diet has opened what it describes as a grab-and-go pilot facility in North Miami that features single-portion selections like sandwiches, wraps, salads, cheesecake and snacks.

The venture is a far cry from Fresh Diet’s usual business, known to some as meal-plan-by-mail. Customers specify what three meals and two snacks they’d prefer for a given day, and the food is delivered to their homes.

The line-up is intended to help patrons loose weight and otherwise maintain their health. That approach is carried over to the to-go outlet, which features breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The new outlet, situated under a health club, is the latest example of packaged-food sellers moving into foodservice, the counter-trend to restaurants’ charge into retail products. Recently, for instance, the Bubba Burgers retail burger line said it was developing a chain of fast-casual outlets.

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