Better late than never - First post! Lunchspread

After much support and encouragement from my loving friends, I've decided it's about time I get off my lazy bum and start a food blog. Well, this isn't any food blog. You won't find any recipes or HD quality pictures taken with DSLRs. I'm here to find you the best cheap or FREE eats around the city.

Eating out in NYC is costly. A typical lunch around midtown ranges between $9-12 and dinner with drinks at a non-fancy establishment ends up around $30 before tax and tip. Food is easily one of the highest monthly expenses, second only to rent. When we're left with such a measly amount after all these expenses, it's natural to feel discouraged and think the city is too expensive for you.

Good news is if you're willing to put in a little bit of work and provide some personal information, there are plenty of opportunities where you're able to benefit. But let me be clear, personal information should NOT include your social security number, passwords, bank accounts, credit cards, mothers maiden name, etc. If there's ever a situation where you feel uncomfortable - don't do it!

Formalities aside and onto the fun stuff!

First deal I'd like to share with you guys is Lunchspread.
http://www.lunchspread.com/

Lunchspread is a new startup that connects us and our coworkers to partner restaurants around our workplace. After filling out a brief survey of food and budget preferences, you're literally just waiting for your free food samples to arrive.

You can expect to see something like this:

Not bad huh?? I'll be honest when I saw these bags labeled "FREE FOOD" I couldn't help smiling ear to ear feeling like I just won the lottery.

How to get this deal:

• Go to http://www.lunchspread.com/ and click on "Get your samples now"
• Participation from 4-8 people, yourself included
• Have an office location between 14th and 57th street

What to expect:

• A sampling of foods from local businesses matched to your taste.
A week after signing up, we got an email from Andy @ Lunchspread to let us know when we should expect our samples and to confirm the best delivery time.

• Mid-afternoon delivery so plan for a small lunch or late breakfast!
The day of delivery, the restaurant owner of Piada called to confirm delivery time and our food preferences. Being primarily meat-eaters, my coworkers and I put "no vegetarian" for our dietary restriction (ha!). It was sweet that Piada called to ask if we would like vegetables in our sandwiches or if it's best to exclude them. The owner also called right as he was leaving and arrived promptly at the scheduled delivery time.


• Neatly packaged and labeled samples and personalized promo codes for your next visit
The sandwiches were labeled and menus were provided so it was easy to see what we got samples of. There was a handwritten note from the business owner and our very own promotion code for a 10% off the next visit. 

• Follow up survey from Lunchspread where you can provide feedback
Highly encourage everyone to fill this out so they're able to better match you for the next round of samples. Yeah you read that right - MORE SAMPLES ARE COMING.

Overall, 10/10 would do again. Communication with Lunchspread was quick and informative. The business owner was clearly invested in the idea and wanted us to have the best experience possible. The portions were ideal for a sizable afternoon snack. And the best thing is - it hardly required any work on our part.

Phew! That's it for now. Feel free to post any questions below :)

I do not receive any compensation or incentives as a result of this post.