Pictured: An order of chips and guacamole, a chicken tinga burrito bowl, pork carnitas tacos, chicken tenders and fries and honey garlic bone in wings. Photo Courtesy of Crave Kitchens.

Everyone faces the age-old question “What should we order for takeout?” Mom wants Mexican, but Uncle Jack prefers Chinese. Clara’s yearning for a juicy burger, but her husband would rather have pizza. What’s a hungry diner to do? Crave Kitchens, a new food delivery and pick-up concept in Gulf Gate hopes to present an efficient and satisfying solution. Unlike other companies with  online platforms where customers can order takeout from various restaurants in their area, Crave Kitchens also has a brick-and-mortar location, complete with a kitchen, where chefs prepare dishes from their in-house brands, each representing a different cuisine, such as American, Asian or Mexican, to name a few. The company hopes to incorporate local restaurants into the concept as well, inviting them to prepare their takeout meals in Crave’s kitchen and take advantage of their streamlined delivery and pick-up model.

“Crave is unique because we have multiple brands under the same roof. Crave Kitchens isn’t one cuisine, and it’s not a restaurant with a seating area. It’s more or less the kitchen, and under that roof, we have multiple brands and concepts. They can range from a national brand to an in-house brand that our executive chef creates to a local brand,” says Joseph Giardino, the owner of the Sarasota location. “This is a dedicated kitchen for having multiple brands expand their scope,” he adds. “The competitive advantage in that is to offer different cuisines all under the same roof. Right now, we have six cuisines, from poke bowls to burgers to Asian to Italian, and you can have that all from the same kitchen in the same order in 25 minutes. We’re able to make and deliver all of those cuisines, so everyone will find something they like.”

All of the in-house brands, which can be ordered for takeout or catering, are created by Executive Chef Mark Bibby and feature flavors from across the globe. “I’m a huge poke guy, and I think there’s not enough poke places around here. We just implemented the brand Umi Poke, and it’s really good. It’s a beachy type of dish that’s healthy with fresh vegetables and seafood or whatever meat you choose,” Giardino says. “Our biggest hit is our burgers, under the Big Red’s Burger and Grill brand. We haven’t had anyone tell us anything other than ‘How do you make your burgers? They’re incredible.’” He also recommends Asian dishes, like orange chicken or sweet and sour chicken, from the Red Crane brand.

While Crave’s catering range is slightly larger, the current delivery range encompasses part of Sarasota County. When plugging in their address to order, customers can see if their location is covered for delivery. Once they’ve decided on delivery or pick-up and placed their order, all diners have left to do is enjoy a delicious and hassle-free meal that’s sure to please even the pickiest of eaters.

Crave Kitchens, 6609 Superior Ave., Sarasota, 941-922-9468, cravekitchens.com/locations/sarasota-florida.

Pictured: An order of chips and guacamole, a chicken tinga burrito bowl, pork carnitas tacos, chicken tenders and fries and honey garlic bone in wings. Photo Courtesy of Crave Kitchens.

Crave Kitchens