COVID-19 has changed every aspect of our lives. In this new series, we explore the way businesses, services, organizations, and other groups are adapting to restrictions. It’s a celebration of innovation, promotion for small businesses, and a service to our readers. Got a pivot story to tell? Email dayanti.karunaratne@stjoseph.com

The Pivot: Mad Radish, a chain of takeaway salad restaurants owned by Ottawa’s David Segal, branches out with the launch of two additional brands: Revival Pizza and Luisa’s Burritos and Bowls. 

The Backstory: Mad Radish launched in Ottawa in 2017 with ambitions to pepper the country with shops selling their creative to-go salads to the lunch crowd. And while the concept still works within Covid-19 restrictions, via delivery and two downtown locations, the stores will now be adding pizza and burritos to their offerings.

We caught up with the Mad Radish team to find out more about the expansion.

How did you decide on the two new menus?
At Mad Radish, we’re all about gourmet fast food. Food that tastes amazing and makes you feel great. Food that doesn’t ask you to choose between speed and flavour. Fresh food, made with quality ingredients. With Luisa’s Burritos & Bowls and Revival Pizza, we’ve expanded our interpretation of this value proposition into new spaces. With Luisa’s, our goal was to create a better burrito using authentic South American ingredients. And with Revival, we put a modern twist on Neapolitan-style pizza, creating unique flavour combinations with simple, high-quality ingredients. 

What do burritos and pizza offer that salads do not?
It’s more about extending our overall food philosophy to give our customers more choice – and more convenience – with every order. We’re so excited that customers will be able to order all three brands in-store at select Mad Radish locations. 

The new brands boast “made to travel” ingredients. What adaptations were made to ensure quality?
Everything from the ingredients to the way they’re assembled and packaged has been thought through to ensure that customers can enjoy a gourmet fast-food experience.  The crust on pizza, for example, is extra crispy to ensure it holds up over the time it takes to get the pizza to our customers.