Thanks to apps, you can get just about any food you can want, delivered from any restaurant you want. Problem is, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be the same quality as dining in. Now, a high tech food packet hopes to change that.
Follow Tech Reporter Rich DeMuro on Instagram for more tech news, tips and gadgets!
“We’re now essentially a delivery business that happens to have a few tables sporadically placed at a social distance,” explained Charles Lew, owner of Stout Burgers & Beers with several locations throughout Los Angeles. Since the pandemic, he’s seen delivery go from about 15% to more than 50% of the business.
“The fries are the real problem,” said Lew. Thanks to apps, deliveries are going further, and by the time food arrives, it can be cold and soggy. “Your food’s in a package, for a long period of time. How do you keep it fresh?”
A sticker called SAVRPak might be the answer! Inside, food-grade materials trap humidity in an effort to keep foods fresher, longer. “It’s like a magnet – it’s grabbing that moisture sucking it in and not letting it go,” explained Grant Stafford, CEO of SAVRPak.
Stout is sticking the high-tech freshness packs to the inside of their food containers.
To test it, I tried french fries sealed up in to-go boxes for up for about 20 minutes. One batch didn’t have the patch inside, the other did.
When I tasted the fries, the difference was very clear. The fries in the box without the sticker were the typical soggy and limp fries you’d expect from takeout or delivery. The fries in the box with the sticker were noticeably drier and crispier.
“Our closest competition really is just a vented box,” said Stafford.
“These are things that will help us survive. This is an incredibly hard climate as you can imagine,” concluded Lew, referring to restaurants the current pandemic climate.
Each SAVRPak costs about 25 cents and they are made from food-grade materials, although you don’t want to eat one. Also, each pack is recyclable. SAVRPack says its freshness packet works with a variety of foods including many hot fried foods, pizza and even salads.
NOW: Listen to the Rich on Tech podcast, where I talk about the tech news I think you should know about and answer the questions you send me!