News

Miami's Della Bowls staying in business via virtual kitchen

September 24, 2019

Della Bowls, a fast casual concept that began as a food truck in Miami, is partnering with Reef Kitchens to expand its plant-based bowls to more customers in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

By leveraging Reef's delivery-only kitchens, the brand has launched a hub in Fort Lauderdale, with an Aventura delivery hub set to open this fall, according to a press release.

Entrepreneur Della Heiman launched the brand as a food truck in 2015, at The Wynwood Yard — a pop-up entertainment venue — that she also founded. The following year, The Miami New Times ranked Della Bowls as the city's No. 1 food truck.

The property leased by The Wynwood Yard, however, was sold earlier this year to a company building a high rise, which meant Della Heiman was out of luck until she partnered with Reef.

"We believe, along with Reef, that delivery-only kitchens represent a very large, exponentially growing segment of food consumption in the United States," Heiman said in the release. "This spares operators the high operational costs associated with a brick-and-mortar restaurant."

Heiman sees parallels between The Wynwood Yard's mission as a low-barrier culinary incubator and the Reef Kitchens' mission as an operational scaffold to culinary entrepreneurs in cities with high costs and limited space.

"We're really excited to be working with Reef, because their visionary team is allowing us to take our mission much further — faster. Reef's model provides the opportunity for us to keep the operation consistent and more efficient, all while reaching more customers than we ever could through a brick-and-mortar expansion strategy," Heiman said.

Della Bowls provides delivery via Uber Eats, DoorDash and Postmates, but employees prepare the food from Reef Kitchens using recipes from Heiman and COO/Chef Julie Frans to ensure a consistent, high-production value.

"We are delighted to partner with Della Bowls, allowing the Miami and Fort Lauderdale communities to enjoy this local eatery while increasing accessibility to healthy, affordable meals," said Alan Cohen, CMO of Reef Technology, parent company of Reef Kitchens. "This partnership demonstrates how Reef uses innovative technology to connect people to the businesses they love, without the many challenges that accompany traditional brick-and-mortar expansion."

Della Bowls plans to open its first brick-and-mortar storefront at The Doral Yard at Downtown Doral when the property opens in early 2020. In the meantime, fans in its delivery zone can order via these delivery apps and follow Della Bowls on Instagram and Facebook for updates regarding new delivery zones.