![Orders from these restaurants in the Lower Parel, Bandra, and BKC areas will be fulfilled by the dabbawalas starting this week](http://media.assettype.com/outlooktraveller%2Fimport%2Foutlooktraveller%2Fpublic%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Ftravelnews%2Frsz_shutterstock_1264007443-01.jpg?w=480&auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max)
Impresario Handmade Restaurants - the leading food and experiences company, has partnered with Mumbai&rsquos dabbawalas to brave the COVID-19 storm together. While the lockdowns have destroyed Mumbai&rsquos dabbawalas&rsquo business thanks to closed offices and suspended railway travel, both entities have now come together to form a symbiotic partnership to empower and enable each other over the next few months.
It&rsquos a first-of-its-kind pilot project where Impresario Handmade Restaurants will employ several dabbawalas in Mumbai who will provide direct delivery service for its iconic brands like SOCIAL, Smoke House Deli, and Salt Water Café. Orders from these restaurants in the Lower Parel, Bandra (West), and BKC areas will be fulfilled by the dabbawalas starting this week. The association will roll out in phases over the next few months, each employing more dabbawalas and strengthening the partnership.
Riyaaz Amlani, CEO & MD, Impresario Handmade Restaurants, says, &ldquoMumbai&rsquos dabbawalas are the backbone of the city, and partnering with them to weather the second wave is the best thing we can do for each other. We need to support each other through these trying times, and this is Impresario&rsquos way of meaningfully extending a helping hand. We&rsquore hopeful that this association will trigger the rest of the hospitality industry to employ them too.&rdquo
He also adds, &ldquoOrdering directly from restaurants empowers us to have direct and deeper relationships with our customers and saves on prohibitive commissions being paid out to them. We can pass these savings on to our customers and allow them to benefit from ordering directly. Now, ordering directly is also helping to employ our dabbawalas, who have lost their livelihoods due to the pandemic.&rdquo
As Work-From-Home is the norm which is why many restaurants are trying to reach where customers are. Impresario will also serve the local community by launching a subscription-based meal service in Mumbai. It will bring healthy home-cooked food right to your doorstep. The meals will be nutritious and packed with signature flavors and delivered by the dabbawalas. The Ghar Ka Khana subscription meal packages from the SOCIAL start at INR 6000 per month and will be available across Khar, Vikhroli, Versova, and Lower Parel during the first roll-out phase on 24th May 2021.