A new app is available on iOS and Android (though it is currently invite only).  If you are looking for lunch (or even breakfast or dinner) and are near the King Street area (pretty much Jarvis to the east, Liberty Village to the west and down to the lake in the south), you can use Ritual to bypass the line at many restaurants since you can order your meal ahead of time.

You can track your order with the Ritual app

Now, this app isn’t too different from other ordering apps or websites – you need to register and add a payment method (credit card) before it can be used.  And ordering is just a few simple taps away.  What makes Ritual different from much of its competition is that it allows the customer to track the order much like one would track a ride from, say, Uber.  Once an order is placed, Ritual will let the customer know how long it would take before the order is ready, and will, like ride services, count down the time until it is.

Courtesy of MacIntyre Communications and Ritual Co., I had the opportunity to test the app this week, placing an order at Evolution Food Co. located in the St. Lawrence Market area.  I had a barre class in the theatre district and though there are a few other places closer to the studio I could have tried, as a salad-for-lunch girl, Evolution Food seemed to be the most logical choice.  Ordering was very simple.  I tapped on the item I wanted and then it brought me to another screen where I could add extras (this would, of course, depend on the restaurant you choose).  Then you tap “Add to Order”, followed by “View Cart” (or the shopping cart icon on the top right hand corner).  You’re brought to a screen where you can review your item or items.  Once you are satisfied, tap “Place Order” and your food and/or drinks will be ready when you arrive.

My lunch order from Evolution Food Co. – survived the walk from St. Lawrence Market to Bay and Bloor!

So was I satisfied with the app?  Yes.  And I would likely use it again (on very different note, the food survived my walk back to Bay and Bloor).  Restaurant selection is very good, ranging from independent coffee outlets to sandwich shops, a variety of ethnic foods and salad places. However, I would love to see the app expand its restaurant selection to other parts of the city.  My main stomping ground is in mostly Summerhill area to the north, U of T to the south, Spadina to the west and Church to the east and would love to see Ritual expand to serve this area.  I think it would do very well well with both the business and university crowds.

NOTE:  The above was a sponsored post for Ritual App.  Though compensation was received for the article, the opinion of the author are purely hers and were not influenced by Ritual or its PR company, Macintyre Communications.