In the bustling downtown city life, we find ourselves with less and less free time and nothing is worse in this day and age where we expect everything instantly but juxtaposed with the all-too-real reality that we have to wait endlessly for that cup of coffee or that quick work lunch.

The new Ritual app for iOS and Android aims to reduce those headaches. Already partnered with Ritual are many top Toronto hot spots in King West and the Entertainment District.

HOW IT WORKS

Signup is quick and easy and done all within the app.  You provide your email and phone number and an SMS will be sent with a verification code.  The next step is to provide a credit card to be used for paying for your orders.  Finally, you’ll be asked for your name and a photo so that the restaurants know that it’s you when you pickup your order.

Once signup is done, you’ll be at a screen where you can browse previous orders (My Rituals) and restaurants you’ve ordered from, which if you’re a creature of habit, makes it convenient to easily re-order items you tend to have on a regular basis.  You can also view nearby restaurants sorted by popularity, or by dinner and lunch availability.  Drilling down into a restaurant’s menu view, you can see all the available items, with clear descriptions and prices.  Another useful view is browsing food items by collection.  For example, if you feel like an iced coffee, there is an Iced Iced Baby collection that shows all the iced coffees from different restaurants and coffee shops all on a single page.  This feature is pretty awesome.

Once you’ve added your items to the cart, all you need is to checkout, complete the order, and be on your way.

ritual-app-howitworks

Here’s what we saw when ordering the P&L Burger combo from P&L Burger in Queen West:

THE PERKS

  • There’s no extra cost to you.
  • Ordering is fast as you can find restaurants and food items easily within the app.
  • Re-ordering is even faster through My Rituals.
  • Your order is prepared when you’re close by (so it’s going to be fresh), and ready right when you arrive.
  • You don’t have to fumble with change as payment is done at the time of ordering.
  • There are even some exclusive items like the Ritual Burger, only available for pick-up via the Ritual app at Big Smoke Burger on King West. For only $7.49 + tax, the Ritual Burger comes with sautéed mushrooms, crispy bacon, BBQ sauce, mayonnaise, fresh lettuce, and tomato.

WHERE YOU CAN USE IT
There are a ton of great restaurants where you can use it including Portland Variety, Mean Bao, Big Smoke Burger, P&L Burger, Ravi Soups, The Chickery, and even Rodney’s Oyster House and Fresh. There’s so much more, too, and as restaurants are being added frequently.

So now you can choose your old favourites or discover new ones in the area that you’ve always wanted to try.  For more info about Ritual including a full list of participating places, visit ritual.co.  You can download the iOS app here, and the Android app here.

In Photos: Ever After Fest featuring Benny Benassi and Keys N Krates
In Photos: The Casa Sauza tequila tasting at Los Colibris

Nick Lee

Editor and Photos at BestOfToronto.net