Munchery, a former meal delivery service that was a precursor to today’s ghost kitchens, has relaunched under new ownership as a recipe website.
The San Francisco-based company formed in 2011 as a chef-driven, ready-to-eat meal delivery service, later partnering with restaurants to offer meal kits. It expanded to Los Angeles, Washington and New York before shutting down in 2019 after the business “proved to be unsustainable,” according to Munchery’s website.
Its new form features thousands of recipes developed during its delivery days, along with articles, videos and demonstrations. Subscribers will get “exclusive offers” from meal delivery companies, restaurants and wineries, and the company also plans to launch Pantry Boxes with items from local farms. Those offers hint at how the company will make money—recipes and other content are free, and the site isn’t currently selling ads.
The news was first reported by San Francisco Business Times.
The site is being operated by Munchery’s new owner, Rolliyo Inc., which bought the company’s name, assets and recipes out of bankruptcy in May. Delaware-based Rolliyo also acquired Munchery’s customer data, including contact information, according to court files.
Munchery had not responded to an interview request as of publication time.
The company, once valued at $300 million, was part of a handful of what RB called “nonrestaurant restaurants” that included David Chang-backed Maple and Sprig. All of them failed, citing the difficulty of producing and delivering meals. They’ve been replaced by a new wave of ghost kitchens, such as Kitchen United and Reef, built around existing restaurant brands and third-party delivery providers.
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