Jollibee opens mobile kitchen on Hamilton Mountain
There is something abuzz within the Hamilton food scene - and it's a first of its kind, according to its creators.
Nestled in the southwest corner of the parking lot at Lime Ridge Mall, it's red, white and it even smiles back.
And after weeks of being blocked off by fencing, it's set to open Sept. 2.
The Jollibee Mobile Kitchen is a partnership between the Filipino fast-food company Jollibee and DoorDash, a food delivery service, according to a press release.
But, it won't be your usual food truck experience.
The nearly 50-foot-long kitchen, the first of its kind for the companies, goes a step beyond the traditional ghost or commissary kitchen," according to a news release. (A ghost kitchen is typically described as a professional cooking facility that is structured for the preparation of delivery-only meals.)
Instead of staying in one place, the trailer will move from city to city - all in hopes of expanding the company's store network where there is no physical restaurant, said Maribeth Dela Cruz, president of Jollibee Foods Corporation North America, Philippine Brands.
It's set to stay in Hamilton for at least six months, according to the release.
Diners can't just walk up to the restaurant-on-wheels and order their favourite menu items - rather, all orders are placed online, either through DoorDash or Jollibee itself.
The format is a way for the company to expand its presence, without the traditional" overhead costs of opening a restaurant, according to the press release.
Many restaurants we work with are looking for new ways to cater to their loyal customers and expand their reach," said Ryan Freeman, head of enterprise partnerships at DoorDash Canada, in a statement. Over the past year, we've seen the power of new kitchen models to help restaurants."
The mobile kitchen will offer a limited" menu for Hamiltonians that will include the chain's most recognizable dishes, such as their fried chicken served with savoury gravy, sweet-style Jolly Spaghetti and peach-mango pies. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week.
Fallon Hewitt is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: fhewitt@thespec.com