REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EAT Club, the food delivery service for businesses that personalizes the way employees eat meals together, announced today that it has acquired Bay Area-based Taro to offer new globally-inspired gourmet food items to EAT Club customers. A one-stop culinary shop with healthy, authentic, international menu items that are not available in markets or restaurants, Taro reimagines home-style food for the modern consumer. As part of the deal, EAT Club and Taro teams will integrate, and EAT Club will acquire Taro’s assets, including proprietary recipes, culinary equipment and distribution technology. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Taro is recognized for authentic home-cooked Indian, Korean and Chinese food, and we are thrilled to add their distinctive offerings to our menu,” said Doug Leeds, CEO, EAT Club. “EAT Club is committed to delivering employees the best curated menu that satisfies their individual meal preferences, and Taro enables us to add even more of the high quality Asian cuisine that our customers crave.”
Taro is the second EAT Club acquisition since the appointment of longtime internet executive and former CEO of IAC Publishing, Doug Leeds, as CEO last year. During this time, EAT Club also acquired Bay Area-based Farm Hill Foods, accelerated YoY growth, and now serves nearly 1,000 corporate clients each month, including new customers Facebook, Postmates and Wag.
“EAT Club is the only food delivery service for businesses that treats eating in the workplace as a personalized culinary experience,” said Krishna Mehra, co-founder and CEO, Taro. “When we set out to expand our reach and distribution beyond family dinners, EAT Club emerged as a natural partner with its unique approach of delivering employees individualized selection within a collaborative atmosphere. EAT Club is making it possible for thousands of new workers to experience Taro’s food and flavors, and we are proud to join forces with them in increasing workplace satisfaction.”
Great companies know that providing food as a benefit increases employee collaboration, productivity and workplace culture. But corporate cafeterias are expensive and traditional catering often result in long lines, frustration with food options and waste. With EAT Club, employees have the power to choose their meals each day, from a mobile app featuring a curated menu of over 100 different dishes a week, satisfying all tastes and dietary restrictions. EAT Club is also the only corporate food delivery service that owns every part of the customer journey – from ordering, to food procurement and preparation, to on-time delivery – all within one integrated solution.
“Taro believes employees deserve far better than traditional takeout or fast food, and we agree,” added Leeds. “Together, we’re raising the quality of food in the workplace, one individually ordered meal at a time.”
EAT Club's expansive culinary offerings have been created by an exclusive team of talented chefs catering to a sophisticated, global palate. EAT Club has successfully delivered more than 17 million meals to employees in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Los Angeles since launch.
About EAT Club
Inspired by the Dabbawala delivery system of India and the bento-box office delivery model in Japan, EAT Club was founded with a hunger to solve the office meal problem in the US. EAT Club applies sophisticated technology and logistics solutions to power a new model, making it easy for businesses to offer individualized office meal experiences that suit everyone’s palate, at scale. EAT Club leverages a massive food supply network, including professional chefs and a large selection of meal options, to serve every employee’s specific cravings while meeting the needs of today’s businesses. EAT Club has served over 17 million meals to employees – averaging 25,000 meals each day – and is trusted by Facebook, Postmates and nearly 1,000 other great companies in the Bay Area and LA. For more on EAT Club, visit: eatclub.com.
About Taro
Taro is re-imagining homestyle food for busy professionals and families with a focus on fresh, authentic, and traditional food from around the world. Taro was born out of the kitchen of an educator in Palo Alto, who found very high demand for her delicious food in the local community, and has now grown to a brand serving tens of thousands of families all over the West Coast. Our signature dishes have been co-created with intimate customer feedback through our direct to consumer offering at www.tarobites.com.