Gourmet News

Helbiz, Kitchen United Expand Ghost Kitchen Offerings to LA

Published December 19, 2022

Helbiz Kitchen, a part of Helbiz, is bringing its ghost kitchen offerings to Los Angeles, expanding on the partnership with Kitchen United, a leading ghost kitchen network in the United States. The partnership began with the announcement that Helbiz Kitchen will come to NYC and Austin.

Starting in January, users in the Westwood and Santa Monica areas of Los Angeles will be able to order their favorite food items from either the Helbiz Kitchen app or Kitchen United MIX app onsite kiosk, or website – kitchenunited.com. Both locations also offer seating for guests who want to sit down and enjoy their meal onsite. Helbiz will bring their diverse set of menus created in Milan — Burger & Sons, Pokaii, Pomodòro, Wabisabi, What the Farm, and La Bottega del Gelato — allowing anyone to satiate their food cravings.

“Los Angeles is a city that respects their food and especially appreciates the ability to dine from a diversity of cuisines,” said Salvatore Palella, CEO of Helbiz. “By bringing our six different restaurant offerings and the ability to select from each in the same order, every household will be able to find exactly the food that they are craving. Los Angeles, like NYC and Austin, will be a city in which Helbiz offers both its micro-mobility and food-delivery related services.”

When available, users can download the Helbiz app on the Apple Store or Google Play. When it becomes available in cities that Helbiz has micro-mobility offerings, users will be able to use the same app to solve their daily transportation and food needs.

Helbiz is a global leader in micro-mobility services. Launched in 2015 and headquartered in New York City, the company offers a diverse fleet of vehicles including e-scooters, e-bicycles, e-mopeds all on one convenient, user-friendly platform with over 65 licenses in cities around the world. The merger with Wheels, leading player in California, adds an unique sit-down scooter along with long term rental subscriptions for individuals, businesses and universities. Helbiz uses a customized, proprietary fleet management technology, artificial intelligence and environmental mapping to optimize operations and business sustainability. Helbiz is expanding its urban lifestyle products and services to include live streaming services, food delivery and more, all accessible within its mobile app.

Founded in 2017, Kitchen United is a leading provider of restaurant hub technology, streamlined logistics and turn-key commercial kitchen space that empowers foodservice operators to tap into the growing off-premise business opportunity and offers consumers a first-of-its-kind multi-restaurant to-go experience. The company offers a value-driven, low-risk way for emerging and established restaurant brands to enter into new markets, grow revenue through off-premise dining and expand delivery areas. Kitchen United currently operates to-go food halls in Los Angeles, Pasadena, San Jose, and Santa Monica, Calif.; Columbus, Ohio; Austin, Dallas, Frisco and Houston, Texas; Scottsdale, Ariz.; New York and Chicago, with more locations opening across the nation. It’s the nation’s first “multi-restaurant ordering” to-go experience that allows foodie fans who love variety to order meals from multiple restaurants, all on the same bill.

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Giant Food Pharmacies Add Flu, Strep Testing Along With COVID Testing, Boosters

Published December 19, 2022

Fourteen Giant Food pharmacy locations throughout Maryland and Virginia are offering on-site testing for flu A and B strains and strep throat for individuals 3 years of age and older. Giant’s flu and strep throat testing joins its other reliable and convenient medical services, including COVID-19 antibody testing and immunizations including updated COVID-19 (bivalent) boosters, all as part of the retailer’s effort to expand convenient point-of-care testing access and support the health of its communities.

Testing is administered by Giant’s certified in-store pharmacists or certified technicians and results will be received within 10 minutes. If further consultation is needed, Giant Pharmacy offers an optional telehealth visit with a healthcare provider through Physician 360 ($29.95 fee applies payable to Physician 360 with discount code “GIANT”) to receive a consultation and any needed prescriptions, without leaving the pharmacy.

“Giant Food is committed to helping our customers by being a one-stop solution for not just their food needs, but also as part of their whole wellness package. By offering these new testing services, we are enabling customers to get their results instantly, speak to a doctor, and receive their medicine without ever leaving a Giant Pharmacy,” said Paul Zvaleny, director of pharmacy operations at Giant Food. “Our Giant Pharmacy team is committed to keeping our communities in good health and we continue to keep our flu and cold products stocked for customers during this time of year when seasonal illness is often at a high.”

The cost of flu testing is $39.99, and the cost of strep throat testing is $29.99, though these fees may be FSA/HSA eligible and patients are encouraged to contact their plan provider for more information.

Patients are required to make an appointment and can be booked online at https://giantfood.com/pages/diagnostic-testing. Those under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

For more information, or to schedule an on-site flu or strep test, visit https://giantfood.com/pages/diagnostic-testing.

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Music Sampling Stars Promote Coca-Cola’s ‘Recycled Records’

Published December 15, 2022

The Coca-Cola Company has teamed up with two of the most legendary names in the history of music sampling, Mark Ronson and Madlib, to bring a bold musical experiment to life with the launch of “Recycled Records.”

The campaign introduces an original EP made up of the sounds taken from the bottle-to-bottle recycling process, alongside a versatile sound library and engaging short film. Not only will fans be able to listen to these uniquely made tracks, but they’ll also get the chance to re-mix the very same sound library used by the two musical legends into innovative compositions of their own through an interactive digital beat machine.

Creative masters Ronson and Madlib chopped, looped, and distorted recycled sounds, vocals, and ambient noises into an imaginative collection of six one-of-a-kind tracks to celebrate Sprite, Fresca and Seagram’s transition from green to clear packaging. From the percussion of a forklift beeping to the tonal beat of a conveyor belt to the hi-hat of air blown into a plastic bottle, the EP brings to life the magic of multiple reuses.

Mark Ronson

“Sampling is an artform which is constantly regenerating. The tiniest sound, whether from an old record or from the world around us, can inspire an entire piece of music. I learnt from my heroes, DJ Premier and Q-Tip, who all made incredible albums from sampling, and it’s stayed an integral part of my work up until today,” said Grammy-award winning producer and sampling master Ronson.

A sound sample is to music as clear plastic is to recycling. The process of music sampling is ongoing; an old sound is used in a new track, which is flipped again into a newer track, and so on. When green plastic is recycled, it is usually turned into single-use items that do not get recycled again – so, it was time for a moment of clarity. Now Sprite, Fresca and Seagram’s clear plastic bottles increase the likelihood of them being remade into new bottles.

Madlib

“A great sample doesn’t have to come from other music, it just has to make you move,” said award-winning pioneer producer and legendary artist, Madlib, also known as the “Loop Digga,” “Quasimoto” and many other aliases. “The thud of a plastic bottle going through a recycling facility is, in its own way, a piece of art, it has the ability to transform. Being able to take sounds from the recycling process that are so different from what I’ve used in the past, and flipping it into a whole new format, is a great example of the versatility of sound. Now any cat has the opportunity to make some dope sounds of their own.”

To learn more, fans can look to critically acclaimed artist and female pioneer of rap, MC Lyte, who narrates a documentary-style short film that draws a clear connection between the heritage and spirit of music sampling and the closed loop recycling process. The captivating film, filled with rich soundscapes, imaginative beats and riveting visuals, showcases the creative process behind “Recycled Records” including extensive sound recordings at recycling facilities nationwide and a fascinating glimpse into the studios of Mark Ronson and Madlib.

“The Coca-Cola Company is thrilled to have teamed up with Mark Ronson and Madlib to celebrate our portfolio’s transition from green to clear plastic. This sonic partnership is part of The Coca-Cola Company’s broader World Without Waste goals,” said Kurt Ritter, Vice president and general manager, sustainability, The Coca-Cola Company North America.“We’re excited about the switch because it increases the amount of high-quality, food-grade recycled plastic available in the marketplace and ultimately allows our brands to use more recycled plastic in their packaging.”

Packaging innovation alone will not solve the plastic waste crisis. While the transition away from green plastic is one of many steps needed to drive a circular economy, The Coca-Cola Company recognizes it has a responsibility to keep evolving its process, and this is just one of the steps the company is taking to do so.

Consumers can join in on the magic of multiple uses by watching the film and taking the Recycled Records beat machine for a spin to create their own musical compositions at www.cokeurl.com/greentoclear.

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