London - October 26, 2005

Podspeed

Pod Fast-Food Restaurant Opens

In the beginning, there was God, an old man with a beard who hung out with angels and made flowers grow.

Then came Bod, a bald guy who taught things to children with Auntie Flo and Farmer Barleymow.

Now there’s Pod, a new restaurant that serves fresh, homemade food fast.

Take-away meals are cooked on demand by an army of chefs, so you won’t find anything curling up on the shelves. Open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pod serves breakfast (organic porridge with honey, smoked salmon baguette, Devon yoghurt and granola) and lunch (creamy goat cheese salad, Sophie Conran’s pies, Pod pasta). You could even grab dinner on your way home, New York style.

It’s a groovy concept with a cool interior designed by the unstoppable Tom Bartlett. Everything is clean, white and calming. Not that you’ll be stressed here — you’ll rarely wait longer than 60 seconds to be served. Simply place your order and it will arrive freshly made, ready to take away, through a chute.

No snotty waiters, no overpriced mineral water, no whopping bill?

Now that’s beating the odds.

Pod, 162-163 London Wall, EC2 (020 7256 5506 or podfood.co.uk).

  Breakfast, Delivery, Fast Food, Healthy, Lunch Spot, Takeout