| If you’re new to this newsletter, this is where we share updates on everything you need to know as a NYC local. From upcoming events to policy changes, Ciaooo was created for smart New Yorkers that care about celebrating a diverse and inclusive NYC. Yerrr! Know someone who loves being in the know & meeting cool people? Share this with a friend! |
THIS WEEK’S UPDATES
1. NYC NEWS TO KNOW
| Happy Halloween! • Crisis Resources – NYC has a free resource for stress, anxiety, depression, drug abuse…where you can speak with a mental health counselor for free via phone, text or chat in more than 200 languages, 24/7/365. • It’s Officially Heat Season – Get ready for the rickety rattle of the radiator. From now. until May 31, landlords are required to keep indoor temperatures at least 68°during the day (when it is below 55° outside) and at least 55° when it is below 40° outside at night. Clang Clang Clang went the radiator. • OMNY kiosks have arrived at the MTA – New OMNY kiosks arrived in Atlantic Ave and Fordham this week with more to come. MetroCards will be out of commission in 18 months. • Hello Darkness, My Old Friend – Daylight Savings Time ends this Sunday. Say Goodbye to the sun and hello to seasonal depression. |
OUR DEEP DIVE
2. NYC COMMUNITY FEATURE – HOW A BROOKLYN STARTUP IS BUILDING SMART FRIDGES TO MAKE OFFICES SUSTAINABLE
| “When you look at all those delivery apps, they don’t give a f*** about sustainability…especially regarding packaging, waste, sourcing, and logistics” It’s a passionate plea from Tximista Lizarazu, the 28 year-old founder of Fraîche, a company on a mission to make back-to-office dining more sustainable with the help of smart fridges. And you know what? He’s right. On average, over 35% of our total food consumption takes place in the office, which makes for a loooooot of food delivery. The Brooklyn-based startup launched 4 years ago when founder Tximista Lizarazu left his native France to help Le Pain Quotidien expand the fast-casual bakery across NYC. Focusing on behind-the-scenes logistics and operations, Txim realized very quickly that sustainability and quality needed significant improvements despite the variety of food options here in NYC. “We want to make sustainability more accessible. It’s a scary topic, and if you talk about it with analogies, simple words and images, you make it easier to understand”. Txim created an in-office food solution to cut food delivery costs, time, packaging, and carbon emissions. The first iteration of Fraîche, included a refrigerated vending machine that provided quick, nutritious salads & healthy meals that workers could easily pick up their meals from. Txim and team crafted their own salads daily to build transparency and have control over the quality of their ingredients. The team quickly saw success as major agencies like Publicis picked up the fridges to feed their hungry masses until the Pandemic hit in February 2020. With a pause on all in-office workers, Txim and the team spent the next few years designing and creating their own smart fridges, making their own inventory platform to send crucial information to the team. Fast forward to the present, and Fraîche, has a hub in Soho where bicyclists pick up curated meals from local NYC restaurants like Daniel Boulud, Botaniste, Springbone, Maman, and The Migrant Kitchen. “Our model includes delivering to 50-100 people at one time. We deliver by e-bikes in the morning, the packaging is compostable, and we have a zero-waste policy. At the end of the day, everything is given to charity, and the food partners are selected based on sourcing sustainability”. Their partnership with One Love has led to the donation of a staggering 8,000 meals last year, providing companies with a hassle-free avenue to spread goodwill. To learn more about Fraîche, mission – you can follow their site here! |
OUR DEEP DIVE
3. A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
| Hey friends! You may have noticed that we missed the past few issues. This newsletter is my love letter to NYC and this month was the first time in nearly 4 years that I really had no clue what to say. I started this newsletter to celebrate NYC. I’m a first-gen Chinese woman who grew up in Brooklyn with Italian, Latino and Arab neighbors while going to a Jewish HS. Diversity is in the tap water here, that’s why our bagels are so good. The most beautiful parts of us come from all of the different people, cultures and experiences that we encounter in our lives. It seems the world has forgotten that. Here at ciaooo!, our mission has always been to empower the community around us. We may not be able to change the world, but we can change the community around us. While the world may be at discourse about the war right now (we will work on a future newsletter that will dive deeper) this newsletter is to remind you to try to do good in your community. Small, simple acts compound. Today, more than ever we need small reminders that there is good in the world. This month, we went to speak to college students at Fordham University. We spoke about the importance of having more cultural representation in the media. More women in the media. More authentic stories. More inclusivity. More community. More love. I was so inspired by the students and the creativity + excitement they showed. Let’s try to have more conversations like this. Sending big hugs to you all – Chau |
Community-first. Women-led. ciaooo! is on a mission to empower brands and organizations that make NYC a better place. Learn more!
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