Thanks to Gopuff Kitchen, you can get hot mozz sticks and iced coffee with your late-night delivery

Along with household essentials, snacks, Juul chargers and even COVID-19 tests, on-demand delivery company Gopuff is now offering made-to-order meals via its app, thanks to a business model expansion called Gopuff Kitchen.

The Spring Garden-headquartered company is placing mobile kitchen facilities next to a some of its micro-fulfillment centers, and customers can now order meals alongside any other Gopuff item for its flat $1.95 delivery fee. The initial pilot program included centers in Philadelphia, Austin, Miami, Nashville, San Antonio, Tampa and four locations in Arizona; Gopuff is currently hiring for kitchen associates and leads in University City, Italian Market, Ludlow, Port Richmond, Queen Village and Center City. There are plans to launch additional Gopuff Kitchens across the country by the end of the year.

The move by the delivery company follows as the concept of ghost kitchens — made-to-order, delivery-only restaurants — gained popularity in Philadelphia and across the country during the pandemic.

“Gopuff is launching a completely new category and raising the bar on how technology is making our lives more convenient,” Daniel Folkman, Gopuff’s SVP of Business said in a statement. “Nowhere else can you order your everyday essentials while also taking care of dinner for the family or getting a quick coffee, all from one platform. … Today’s milestone represents a new way of thinking about the Instant Needs economy and will redefine consumer expectations.”

The Gopuff Kitchens offer a mix of the company’s own recipes, and local partners. In Philly, customers can catch Simply Good Jars, La Colombe hot and iced drinks and snacks, Au Fournil, Dizengoff and Good Uncle pasta dishes. Its own meals include mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders and tots and fresh-made pizza.

The segue into made-to-order food came from Gopuff’s acquisition of Austin-based Bandit, the first app-only coffee shop in the U.S., late last year — just the latest surprise in a long string of business grabs and VC raises over the past two years. Bandit was founded in 2019 by Max Crowley and James Gallagher. Crowley is now leading Gopuff’s business expansion efforts, including the Gopuff Kitchen vertical.

“We started Bandit with a focus on improving the customer experience, understanding that consumer preferences were rapidly shifting to mobile orders, especially for fresh everyday items such as coffee,” Crowley said. “Together with Gopuff, we are taking this mission to the next level and beyond by making it easier than ever to get everyday essentials alongside quality food and drinks all in less than thirty minutes.”

Gopuff Kitchen items are now available locally in the app. Let us know how they are.