Foodies in Katong will be the first to savour the new food options from food delivery service Deliveroo, as its new kitchen space - called Deliveroo Editions - opens in the neighbourhood this weekend.
At the 2,110 sq ft space, which houses six kitchens, chefs from selected restaurants can whip up meals on site. Deliveroo provides the cooking equipment and storage facilities, in addition to its fleet of riders for delivery.
This new service expands the range of food available for delivery as customers can usually order only from restaurants near them.
Deliveroo Editions starts with four restaurants, and two more will be added to the list by the end of this month.
The four restaurants are Californian-Mexican joint Muchachos in Keong Saik Road, New York-style deli Sacha & Sons at the Mandarin Gallery in Orchard Road, Greek restaurant Blu Kouzina in Dempsey Road, and Vietnamese eatery Pho Stop (opening at the end of this month in Shenton Way).
These restaurants, which Katong residents were not able to order from before, were picked based on Deliveroo's market research of which restaurants have fared well so far and which cuisines are missing from the Katong area, says its general manager Siddharth Shanker, 34.
He adds that there are plans for more kitchen spaces to be set up and they will be in heartland locations to expand its reach to customers.
The London-based start-up is rolling out the service in Singapore after "successful trials" in Britain.
By the end of this year, Deliveroo Editions will launch in Dubai, the Netherlands, France, Australia and Hong Kong.
This initiative is part of the brand's global expansion plans after it received a boost of £220 million (S$384 million) in investment last year.
Mr Siddharth says: "The competition (for food delivery) is great for restaurants and we have to constantly innovate. Restaurants can also test out new areas for delivery and offer new food items and menus for diners."
Blu Kouzina's co-founder Dennis Tsakiris, 53, has tweaked his menu for Deliveroo Editions.
For example, there are no grilled cheese or fish dishes available, as he says that these items have to be eaten hot.
"By the time these dishes are delivered to the customer, there is no more wow factor," he says.
However, he has plans to add some pork options only for delivery, as the restaurant does not serve pork on its premises. Items include pork skewers and pork yiro, which are pork skewers wrapped in pita bread and served with fries.
He says: "Being on Deliveroo adds extra volume for us and Deliveroo Editions provides an extra service for people who want to eat at home."
Pho Stop's owner Bryan Wong, 39, says: "We are always looking for new ways to reach customers.
"With Deliveroo Editions, it takes this a step further and allows us to easily make our food available in areas that were beyond our reach before.
"We can test the Katong market without having to invest in opening an actual restaurant straightaway."
Student Emily Oh, 24, who lives in Katong, says: "I used to order from Deliveroo but switched to other delivery services partly because of the limited menu options.
"Now that there are more food choices, I might give Deliveroo another shot."
Another Katong resident, Mr Justin Goh, 32, a marketing executive who uses food delivery services every month, says: "I'm glad that Katong is picked first for Deliveroo Editions.
"Hopefully we'll get to try exclusive menu items."
