Voices from around the restaurant industry
Led by a Shake Shack veteran, L’Artusi has figured out how to translate its high-quality experience through third-party delivery
May 9, 2025
The restaurant industry continues to face challenges even after the COVID-19 pandemic with inflation, rising costs, and changing consumer behavior. Every restaurant
faces the same question: How do we adapt quickly while staying true to who we are? For years, L’Artusi was a dine-in-only experience. We pride ourselves on the quality of our service, the atmosphere, and, of course, the food. But when indoor dining shut down five years ago, we had to pivot quickly. Luckily, we were ready, and the challenging experience has helped us continue to navigate these changing times while continuing to grow our business.
We had tested out lunch delivery in early 2020, right before the pandemic hit, which gave us a head start. We already understood the technology and how to make it work
for our team. When indoor dining closed, we didn’t waste any time. We expanded our hours for delivery and quickly got the hang of executing it well. I had heard so many
horror stories from other restaurants that couldn’t manage the volume or figure out how to integrate the tech properly. But thanks to my time at Shake Shack, where I was part of the team that launched delivery, I understood how the system worked and how to pull the right levers.
It wasn’t just about putting food in a box, though. My team and I, especially Executive Chef Joe Vigorito, were determined to ensure that the quality of our dishes translated to a delivery setting. For 15 years, we had assumed that our food, particularly our pasta dishes, wouldn’t travel well. But we were pleasantly surprised. Some dishes, like our roasted chicken, actually got better in a box, with the steam keeping it extra juicy and the sauce tightening up nicely. For the pasta, Joe found that by slightly over-saucing, we could maintain the integrity of the dish by the time it reached our guests.
Packaging was another critical element. One of the things I learned from my time at Shake Shack was the importance of presentation and food safety in delivery. We ensured that each bag was neatly packed, labeled, and sealed shut. For me, personally, if a delivery bag isn’t sealed when it arrives at my house, I worry about tampering. I wanted our guests to have peace of mind. It’s those little details that I think set us apart from other restaurants offering delivery.
From the start, we also knew that partnering with the right platform was crucial to ensuring a seamless experience for both us and our customers. That’s why we decided to partner exclusively with DoorDash and Caviar for delivery. Their reliability and commitment to a high standard of service aligned with our own, and it gave us the confidence that L’Artusi’s quality would be maintained from the kitchen to the guest’s front door. We have a wonderful partnership with DoorDash, allowing us to scale our delivery operations while keeping the guest experience intact.
But the real story behind our success isn’t just about the operational side. It’s about our guests. The loyalty and support we received from our community was overwhelming. Our guests were excited to enjoy L’Artusi from their couch, and many of them ordered frequently, sent food to friends, and even picked up orders themselves. Their support allowed us to keep our business financially viable and, more importantly, bring back as many employees as possible. In fact, within a few weeks of launching delivery, we had full back-of-house employment and were able to bring back our entire front-of-house management team. That’s something I’m incredibly proud of.
We also realized that even when indoor dining returned, delivery wasn’t going away. The demand has only grown, with the National Restaurant Association reporting that more than half (52%) of U.S. consumers saying they believe that ordering delivery and takeout from restaurants is now an “essential part of their lifestyle.” That’s when we decided to lean into it and look for a space dedicated to producing delivery.
Enter Via Porta and b’artusi.
Via Porta, our "L’Artusi fast casual" concept, came out of a desire to expand the brand in a way that felt natural. We had this amazing opportunity to use a nearby space not just for a ghost kitchen but for something more. We landed on sandwiches, meal kits, pastries, and healthier grab-and-go options — items that could work well for both delivery and in-store. The demand for L’Artusi-inspired fare was there, and Via Porta became a place where our guests could get the same quality in a different format.
Looking back, the decision to lean into delivery was one of the smartest moves we made and it has become a sustainable part of our business model. As much as we love welcoming guests into our restaurant, we understand that life has changed for many of them and consumer behaviors will continue to change. My wife and I don’t go out to eat as often now that we have a child, and we hear the same from our guests. Many of them have told us that they love being able to enjoy L’Artusi without needing a reservation or leaving the house.
The success of our delivery program gave us the confidence to know that L’Artusi travels well — both literally and figuratively. Should we ever decide to expand beyond New York City, delivery will be a key part of our strategy. We’ve proven that the L’Artusi experience can exist outside our four walls, and that’s been a game-changer for us. Delivery has become part of the fabric of our brand, and it’s something we plan to continue offering long-term.
In the end, it all comes back to our guests. Whether they’re sitting in our dining room or enjoying our food at home, they’re the reason we’ve been able to keep pushing forward, even in the toughest times. And for that, we’re incredibly grateful.
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