Eight celebrity and internet-famous chefs are trading their usual kitchens for bodega counters across Manhattan later this month, dishing out free gourmet meals to anyone who walks in. The one-day event, dubbed The Most Legendary Lunch Break, will run from 11:30am to 2:30pm on September 17th at five neighborhood shops, with hot samples served on-site and full meals packaged cold to go.
The pop-up features CookUnity meals, according to Time Out New York. The outlet reports that the event brings free CookUnity meals to neighborhood shops. Five Manhattan storefronts are hosting: Slice n' Spice Deli & Grill at 451 Third Avenue in Murray Hill, Madison Square Deli & Convenience at 266 West 23rd Street in Chelsea, New York Pizza and Cafe at 369 Madison Avenue in Midtown, Sam's Deli at 275 West Fourth Street in the West Village, and Bari Bodega at 873 Broadway in Flatiron.
Each participating chef selected two CookUnity dishes for the giveaway, according to the same report. Rocco DiSpirito is contributing a Bronx Bomb Burrito and a saffron shrimp risotto, while chef Vikas Khanna is also part of the lineup. Another chef is also participating.
A Full Roster of Guest Chefs
The remaining lineup spans a wide range of culinary traditions. John DeLucie, José Garces, Einat Admony, Miriam Milord and Antony Nassif are also part of the lineup, per Time Out New York. The celebrity chefs are expected to depart the bodegas at 2:30pm once the event wraps.
The bodega takeover puts CookUnity's meals in front of New Yorkers.
The Business Behind the Free Lunch
CookUnity has the financial muscle to fund giveaways like this one. The company generated $750 million in annual recurring revenue in 2025 and is projecting $1 billion in ARR in 2026, according to Entrepreneur. CEO Mateo Marietti moved from Argentina to New York about a decade ago and officially started CookUnity in 2016. Entrepreneur also reports that chefs on the platform earn an average of $850,000 annually, with top performers generating more than $7 million in revenue, with meals prepared in centralized kitchens and shipped once or twice weekly.
The bodega event comes amid CookUnity's broader business growth. DiSpirito and Khanna are two of the bodega event's biggest names, meaning several of the event's most prominent chefs are appearing on the platform's menus as the company gives the food away for free.
Bodegas as the Backdrop
The choice of venue carries its own weight. The participating bodegas are neighborhood shops in Manhattan, placing the promotion inside the everyday retail landscape of New York City. That setting gives the event a local backdrop while bringing CookUnity's meals to corner-store customers.
That contrast sits underneath the marketing spectacle: a platform known for $850,000-a-year celebrity chef partnerships setting up shop, for one afternoon, inside the same corner stores that many New Yorkers rely on for everyday groceries. CookUnity's business extends beyond bodega counters, too. CookUnity also operates in the ready-to-eat meal-delivery market.
