Baum & Whiteman International Food and Restaurant
Consultants recently posted their 11
Hottest food and Beverage Trends for 2015 and technology continues to be
the trendsetter. Their report states, “Electronic wizardry once hummed quietly
in the background ... but now we're immersed in "front-facing
technology" or ‘guest-facing technology’: all sorts of devices and programs
that interface directly with the consumer.”
Nowhere is it more evident of the growth than from Chris Jeffrey’s
days at State College where he created a program for an on-line meal delivery
service. There have been numerous
permutations of on-line ordering not only with Jeffrey and his partner Jason
Kwicien, but they were the first to franchise theirs, OrderUp, to regional
markets. OrderUp maintains the general day to day technology and customer
service leaving the franchisee time to market and work with restaurants in their
area.
OrderUp.com ’s national
headquarters is located in Baltimore’s Canton neighborhood, a bigger market
than they normally service but how could they ignore their home city. OrderUp
is in 36 markets across the country from Arizona to West Virginia.
Restaurants list their standard menus on OrderUp not daily
specials although some restaurants will do a featured menu item. There can be promotions kicking off a new
neighborhood or a restaurant through OrderUp like a BOGO or get a sandwich for
a penny –expanding market share both for
the restaurant and OrderUp. A selling point is being able to get a meal
from one of the leading restaurants in the city delivered to one’s home whose
fees are no more than what one might have to pay for valet parking when dining
in the restaurant.
What makes OrderUp different? Initially the technology, carefully planned
delivery zones. Also the restaurant selections go beyond the typical pizza and
sandwich shops to fine dining and every
type of restaurant in between. OrderUp’s
carefully planned formulas for each restaurant’s timing on food preparation
makes sure the food is picked up from the restaurant and delivered without any
hindrance on quality. Once the order is completed by the restaurant, the
customer can expect about a 10 minute delivery window. Obviously a Chick fil A
order is completed much faster than a risotto from that independently owned
Italian restaurant.
OrderUp takes full responsibility on the food that they deliver although a selection
of restaurants deliver on their own and have order minimums. You also have the
option to pick your order up at the restaurant. OrderUp delivery restaurants have no minimum
order, just a $3.99 delivery fee. OrderUp makes their money on a portion of the
delivery fee and a percentage on the dollar volume sold at the restaurants.
Drivers for OrderUp get a percentage of the delivery fee and their tips – they
work as independent contractors. A
driver can expect to make up to $20 to $25 an hour.
The consumer has assistance available connecting on line,
through Twitter: @OrderUpHelp and e-mail. The OrderUp corporate staff is there
to address any questions the consumer might have.
Since Baltimore is headquarters for OrderUp their delivery areas are continually growing:
Canton, Federal Hill, Ridgeley Delight, Mt. Vernon, Harbor East, Locust Point,
Little Italy, Fells Point, Station North and all the way to Johns Hopkins
Hospital to the east and University of Maryland Hospital on the west side.
There are numerous job opportunities at OrderUp.com from being a
driver or working as a remote customer service representative. Restaurant owners looking to expand their
market share check out the process at OrderUp.com
– Restaurant Owners.
www.Orderup.com Facebook Twitter: @Orderup
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