Local Businesses and COVID-19: Apple Cart Food Co.

For today’s Q&A with a local business owner, we talk to New Canaan resident Emad Aziz of the Apple Cart Food Co. The company runs the popular gourmet food counter at Mead Park Lodge, among other locations in town. 

After our interview, Aziz mentioned that those seeking to support healthcare and public safety workers during the COVID-19 health emergency can gift up to 300 lunches through the Apple Cart to those individuals. The New Canaan Lacrosse Association did just that for those working in the COVID unit at Norwalk Hospital, he said. 

Here’s our interview.

Emad Aziz, owner of the Apple Cart Food Co. Credit: Michael Dinan

New Canaanite: What does your operation look like right now? When are you open?

Emad Aziz: I am going to be implementing whatever the government recommends with this gradual opening. So we are going to start with 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and then as summer progresses, 8 to 5 or 8 to 6—whatever is allowed.

What should people know about the steps you have taken to safeguard your own staff as well as patrons of the Apple Cart?

I am working on presenting the town with a plan and I am using for guidelines the set of rules issued by Gov. Ned Lamont. We have a lot of industry resources in food service and they have best practices that we are following. There is a certification that we will complete from the DECD [state Department of Economic and Community Development] where we will earn a badge that we will post that will show we are certified to reopen in Connecticut.

This public health emergency hit just around the time you were to open at Mead Park. What has this been like for you?

Well, it’s been adventurous to say the least. I believe as business owners we should get creative on how we operate and all the challenges that come in from whatever source. That is why we get paid the ‘big bucks,’ of course. So I took it on as a challenge: What are we going to do? I had plenty time to get way ahead of this because I was not operating in the winter time and so in January, February, I could see some of what was coming, so we were reading up on it and making plans accordingly. When we first opened this year it was just people picking up and then when they closed the parks we moved to delivery only, and we reopened doing delivery and pickups, and now on May 20 to we hope to be able to open our outdoor area. We are outdoor already—we only have outdoor seating. So we are planning on working very closely with [Parks Superintendent] John Howe and [Town Administrative Officer] Tom Stadler on implementing a plan. Right now we are planning on spreading out the tables on the patio to go to all the way to the grass areas on the left and right of the snack bar. We are going to have at least eight feet of distance between tables, enough distances between customers and employees, and I am hiring one person who will be doing cleaning and sanitizing. We are also putting signs on the tables before and after usage, meaning once people leave, we will be putting a new sign on it to let people know it Isi clean and sanitized. Otherwise there will be a ‘Reserved’ sign on it, so people know not to sit there. Every other table will say ‘Reserved’ even though they may not be, to ensure extra distance between customers when they come in. Also we will have someone to enforce no more than four people occupancy per table. 

The “Mead Park Breakfast Wrap” is an anchor on the lodge’s menu, and once earned a “Best Breakfast Sandwiches” nod here: https://newcanaanite.com/eye-openers-new-canaans-best-breakfast-sandwiches-3590

Given the restrictions you already have been abiding by this past month-plus, how are you faring at Apple Cart and what sort of a toll is this taking on your business?

Well, once this pandemic hit, I knew right away this would affect us immensely. We only operate in the summer and only operate at locations that are most active in the summer. So we were already expecting a huge hit this year. I’m not even sure about our usual other locations in town, whether we will open or not. We also turned down two contracts offered to the company by two locations in Stamford to do the food service because of the uncertainty of the situation we are in right now. We don’t know what to expect. We are running at about 20% of what we normally do right now. We know all sports activities will be gone for the summer. I cannot imagine anybody playing baseball this year. All activities at are Dunning canceled, I am sure, through the summer and maybe even the fall. I am sure the playground will not open until at least July 1st. So if you combine those three things, that is 75% of our business.

The Falafel wrap. Photo courtesy of Apple Cart Food Company

Even given that number, what have been your most popular items for takeout and delivery?

Falafel has always been our top seller. It is our staple item. Our speciality. We are only ones who serve falafel. It is healthy, it is vegetarian and we just make it really special. It has great ingredients, fresh. That has been our top seller. As a matter of fact, we had one customer order 13 in one order. That is top seller this year for sure.

What is your message to Apple Cart customers?

First of all, I would like to thank everybody for their extreme support in this difficult time right now. They have been extremely supportive and generous. And when we open, they are extremely safe as well as our employees and the customers’ children. We have taken steps and we literally will be policing social distance rules. I will hire someone to politely ask people to honor and respect the rules. So they will be safe here. And that is not to mention all the steps we are taking inside the facility for cleanliness, and sanitation with face masks and gloves. All the precautions I will take it twice as far, it is my reputation we are trying to protect as well as my customers and employees.