il fornello toronto

You can now get your pizza delivered to you at this Toronto park

Sundown, pizza from a Toronto restaurant and the park... it couldn't get more perfect, right?

Wrong.

A local spot is taking the ritual of eating dinner in the park while the sun set to the next level, by delivering your food right to your preferred outdoor hangout spot.

Italian restaurant Il Fornello is now working with local Toronto tech company and local delivery app Ambassador to deliver their entire menu including their wide range of plant-based offerings to Riverdale Park, where there's actually a QR code outpost set up where you can scan to order, and also wait to receive it.

"We have already been delivering dinners to the park for customers during the great weather so we thought it would be a great idea to make it more available while we wait for our patios to open up," Il Fornello co-owner Sean Fleming tells blogTO. "We are staffed, stocked and ready."

The park delivery menu is pretty much the same as any other Il Fornello menu, with options for bread, salad, pasta, pizza, mains, sandwiches and desserts, all with vegan options.

They've also got cocktails, beer and wine. Either scan the QR code to find it, or check it out through the delivery section on their site for their Danforth location.

The service only started up a few days ago, but they've already been getting about 10 orders every 45 minutes, "just like our patio," says Fleming.

"The Riverdale community has been so great placing pre-orders for the whole weekend," says Fleming.

There are some staff members at the flag in the park that can help people with the menu. Once you place and pay for your order using the QR code, it should take about 45 minutes to get to you in the park.

The best part is, once you're done, staff will come back around to pick up the empty pizza boxes and other containers to be properly recycled so as not to leave litter in the park.

Decreasing sales and subsidies drying up inspired Fleming to create an opportunity to employ students and seasonal staff in the summer, at a time when things are normally ramping up at the restaurant for a busy patio season.

"May and June are traditionally our strongest revenue months when people are excited to be out and haven't fled for summer cottages," says Fleming.

"We are just happy to be out and serving our community. We cannot wait to welcome back diners to our decked out patio, but until then, we're bringing our restaurant to diners."

Park delivery is availabe in Riverdale every day from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Lead photo by

Fareen Karim


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