FAQ

Wait, so the food arrives chilled?

We work with our partner restaurants to create recipes that travel well and reheat beautifully. Your meals are freshly cooked in their kitchen and chilled to 38°F so they last 3-4 days in the fridge.

Most meals can be reheated with a microwave. For certain items, the restaurant will provide additional instructions, such as boiling or baking, to help you achieve the optimal texture and flavor at home.

How much is your service fee?

$3.95 per delivery + a percentage depending on the restaurant but this never goes over 9.5%. And we don’t charge sales tax! (a whopping ~9% savings). So you’re essentially paying a flat $3.95.

If your address is more than 30 miles from SF, up on the mountains, or require a bridge toll, you'll also see a surcharge of $2-4 per delivery.

When is the delivery window?

We currently deliver between 1-7 PM. Enter your ZIP code on the Menu page to see your neighborhood's specific time window.

Where is my driver?

We’ll send you a GPS tracking link on the day of delivery. You’ll see the driver’s real-time location and ETA.

Can I cancel my order?

Yes! Most items can be cancelled before 4pm the day prior. You can do it from your Profile page. We'll issue a refund immediately. However, some restaurants close orders early, and their items cannot be cancelled after their order close time.

What do I do with used boxes & ice bottles/packs?

Give them to our drivers so we can re-use them! To keep your food cold, we place ice bottles/packs in the box to absorb ambient heat. To help us re-use them, simply put clean ice bottle/pack and insulation bags in a Bentocart box then leave them outside your door or lobby on your next delivery day. Our driver will pick them up and bring them back to our facility.

We have procedures in place to ensure the re-use does not spread COVID-19 pathogens.

How do I add more items to an existing order?

To add items to an existing order, you can simply place a new order. Our system will automatically combine them into one delivery behind-the-scenes. Any applicable fees are equivalent whether they are put in the same order or not.

When is the order cutoff time?

Meal Plan: Friday 5pm the week prior.
Full Menu: 5pm the day prior to your delivery day.

Some restaurants close their orders early so it's best to plan ahead and order as early as you can.

I can’t be home during my delivery window, what do I do?

Please email us instructions on where to leave your order. We can also deliver it to a different person and address, provided it’s in the same ZIP code.

How does the Meal Plan work?

The Bentocart Meal Plan takes the stress out of meal planning! We offer four different plans where you get to curate your selection of local SF restaurant-cooked meals from our weekly offerings. Once you select your plan, you’ll pick your meals and delivery day, and we’ll deliver them right to your doorstep.

What’s the difference between Meal Plan and Full Menu?

Our Meal Plan is a subscription that offers 70+ exclusive and delicious calorie-controlled meals from local SF restaurants. You can customize the meals as you see fit. Ordering is automated weekly—saving you the hassle of picking and choosing.

With the Full Menu, you can enjoy à la carte options from top-rated SF restaurants. Do note, à la carte options and portions are varied, are not calorie-controlled, and nutritional data isn’t provided.

You can always combine Full Menu and Meal Plan items in the same delivery!

Do I have to order every week?

No, but planning ahead definitely takes the guesswork and stress out of figuring out what to eat! If you ever need to skip or cancel a week, it's easy to make changes from the Deliveries page.

How do I change or cancel my meal plan?

You can pause, cancel or resume your meal plan from your profile. To switch plan tiers you can first cancel it then sign up for a different one. Note, changes can only be applied to future open orders.

Where can I find nutritional info for the meals?

Calorie and macronutrient info can be found in your meal selector. When you select meals for upcoming deliveries, click on the item, and you'll see nutrition info in the pop-up. Sometimes the info is missing because the restaurant is still working on gathering the necessary data. We'll publish them as soon as we can.