A TasteCasting Sponsor Interview
TasteCasting is all about helping local and regional establishments. In our efforts to help local establishments, I had the good fortune to meet Kathie Allen, and her husband John Allen, and learn about Cafe Courier – a small business that also helps local and regional restaurants through their delivery service now in it’s 20th year. Enjoy the interview below and when you have the craving for your favorite local food and you can’t get away. Call on Cafe Courier!
Dan: So John, what prompted the idea for Cafe Courier?
John Allen: My wife Kathie and attended the National Pizza and Pasta Convention in Chicago back in 1988 looking for a new home delivery concept. On the second day I was talking with “Stan the Plastic Man” – a maker of car top signs for Dominos pizza primarily – and mentioned my quests to start a home delivery concept of some sort. He told me about a company called City Express in Baton Rough, LA that was providing a multi-restaurant delivery service. I consulted with the owner of City Express and in May of 1989 we opened with 7 restaurants in Upper Arlington.
Dan: Who do you serve and where?
John Allen: We serve three distinct markets, corporate lunch and drop-off catering, residential meals and hotel room service.
Dan: How many restaurants do you deliver for?
John Allen: About 75 restaurants currently and adding more all the time.
Dan: How does Cafe Courier work?
John Allen: You simply call (614.457.3900) and order from a menu guide that we print or go online (cafecourier.com) and order your meal. We fax the order to the restaurant knowing we can have a dispatched driver there to pick it up just as it’s completed. The food is transported in custom thermal bags and delivered ASAP. Our typical meal arrives 55 minutes after the customer orders it.
Dan: How much does delivery service cost?
John Allen: Our delivery fee starts at $3.95 for the entire order.
Dan: Why do people use this service?
John: Our corporate customers use Cafe Courier because we are cost effective. If you can have a meeting, continue training or give your presentation over lunch more work gets done, the company is more productive. Our residential and hotel customers simply want the convenience of having a great meal delivered and the variety of dozens of restaurants to choose from.
Dan: How do restaurants benefit?
John Allen: Cafe Courier provides restaurants sales they would not have have otherwise. We are a marketing tool that proves it works by the checks they receive from us regularly and the increased exposure that pulls customers into their restaurant.
Dan: How do restaurants become a part of the Cafe Courier process?
John Allen: They can contact us for a presentation of our program.
Dan: How and where do people or restaurants learn more?
John Allen: Go to cafecourier.com or call 614.457.3900
Dan: What do you have in store for 2010?
John Allen: We are rolling out a new website with many added features that will make the experience ever better. One feature is ‘Group Ordering’ where one can start an order and send an email invitation to a group of their choosing allowing them to add their own meal. We are expanding into Easton, New Albany and Gahana and city-wide catering to the remaining areas of Greater Columbus.
Dan: If there was one thing you wanted people to remember about Cafe Courier what would it be and why?
John Allen: All you need to remember is cafecourier.com - view up-to-date menus, plan your meal and place your order for asap delivery.