Business

Mead Park’s Apple Cart To Open Friday

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As winter draws to a close, one of New Canaan’s favorite seasonal restaurants, The Apple Cart Food Company, is getting ready to open its doors. The eatery’s owner, Emad Aziz, was hard at work last Thursday morning, making preparations for the restaurant’s official opening—a task he has undertaken each spring for the past two decades. “I’m very excited about it,” Aziz told the New Canaanite. “It’s been a very long vacation for me. I took a lot of time to go over everything, trying to get the perfect menu to keep my prices fair and my customers happy.”
In keeping with tradition, The Apple Cart will feature several new menu items this season, including options for those with certain dietary restrictions.

Apple Cart Food Co.

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

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

Business

‘Apple Cart’ Owner Points To Sanitization Efforts As Tuesday Opening at Mead Park Nears

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The owner-operator of a popular gourmet food provider in Mead Park said that although he always looks forward to opening for the season, he’s “very anxious” this year with the presence of COVID-19 in the community. The Apple Cart will open Tuesday at Mead Park Lodge, according to Emad Aziz. “We are hiring a person specifically to walk around all day long and clean up, sanitize tables and chairs,” Aziz told NewCanaanite.com. The Apple Cart is one of several local businesses that’s communicating with customers about on-site safety measures as New Canaan adjusts in the wake of a confirmed case of COVID-19 here. Reported Wednesday by emergency management officials, the presence of the highly contagious virus led to decisions to have New Canaan Public Schools students learn from home for two weeks, as well as the closures until further notice of New Canaan Library, Grace Farms, Lapham Community Center, New Canaan YMCA and the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society, among other organizations.

Apple Cart Food Co.’s Emad Aziz Opens ‘Mead Park Lodge’ for 2019 Season

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In a sure sign that spring has arrived in earnest in New Canaan, town resident Emad Aziz has opened the Mead Park Lodge for the 2019 season. 

The owner of the Apple Cart Food Co., which celebrated its twentieth year in 2018, officially opened his pristine gourmet food counter about 10 days ago. “We opened earlier than we usually do,” Aziz said Tuesday. “The weather  was nice and I wanted to open up and to expedite the summer, to come faster. When I open, psychologically it is here.”

So are a number of new menu items, including a shrimp New Canaan Po’ Boy sandwich and salad, Tuscan Eggplant Sandwich with eggplant, pesto, roasted peppers and avocado, and Falafel Supreme Wrap with falafel with hummus, tahini, roasted peppers, pickled turnips and mixed greens. Apple Cart also has increased its gluten-free options, Aziz said.

Business

Apple Cart Food Co. Marks 20th Anniversary

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Apple Cart Food Company, happily serving New Canaan families at Mead Park Lodge, Waveny Pool and Dunning Stadium, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The business started out with some small local catering gigs alongside operations at The Lake Club and The Field Club, according to co-owners Emad Aziz and Marianne Perry. When the opportunity arose to bid operating out of the Mead Park building 12 years ago, they seized it, and have been making their house specialty, the falafel wrap, with a signature “mom-and-pop” style ever since. “I believe there’s big value in business done old-fashioned way,” Aziz said. “We’re not getting caught up in all of the Uber Eats trend.”

The pair did not even realize their company had reached the 20-year milestone until they went to local business Nurenu to develop a new logo.