Daniel Simon

The pandemic has taken an unimaginable toll on the restaurant industry. Over 1000 restaurants have shuttered their doors permanently in NYC. Those in the industry have been forced to adapt and transform to survive. Innovation has come in many forms and virtual restaurants and ghost kitchens have proliferated. Mealco is the platform that allows chefs to quickly launch and manage high-quality virtual restaurants without the upfront costs of operating a physical space. The startup, founded in 2019, operates several kitchens throughout the city and chefs are able to manage delivery-first brands without even stepping foot into a kitchen; everything can be managed via the platform’s backend. Customers are able to order directly from the Mealco consumer platform or on one of their preferred dining apps. AlleyWatch caught up with Founder and CEO Daniel Simon to learn more about how his experience working in restaurants as a student inspired the business, the impact the pandemic has had on the business and industry, the company’s latest round of funding from investors that include Rucker Park Capital, FJLabs, Reshape, 2048.vc, Oceans Ventures, and Jonathan Zabusky.