One of the nation’s largest delivery services has hit the roads of Battle Creek.
More than 50 Battle Creek restaurants are now using delivery.com, an online merchant delivery and pickup service.
The service is simple. You log into delivery.com or the company’s mobile app, select a restaurant, choose an order and pay online. The food will arrive between 45 minutes and an hour.
The service currently has around a dozen drivers working in Battle Creek. They pick up shifts on their own time like an Uber driver. The company plans on picking up more drivers in the winter because service picks up when the temperature gets cold, officials said.
They are currently only delivering food in Battle Creek, but one unique aspect of delivery.com is that they are looking to expand to add groceries, alcohol and laundry to their service.
Delivery.com partnered with Google
The New York City-based company has its roots in some of the biggest cities in America, but it’s been looking to spread its market to smaller cities like Battle Creek. It recently bought Mr. Delivery, a smaller delivery service that was already operating out of Battle Creek.
CEO Jed Kleckner said markets like Battle Creek bring up a different set of challenges as opposed to big cities like New York. One of these challenges is a lack of branding.
“A tough thing is people not recognizing your brand,” he said. “We’re hoping our platform partnerships will help with that.”
One of the platform partnerships Kleckner is most excited for is with Google. You can type a Battle Creek restaurant’s name into Google, and it will give you the option of using delivery.com without going to the website or using the app.
Ben Emory, market operator in Battle Creek, said another challenge they face in Battle Creek is that the community is not used to ordering delivery online. One of his goals is to get the word out more so that people are aware of the service.
“It’s a small hurdle,” he said. “People are a little further behind than in some other places.”
Delivery.com focuses on local businesses
Kleckner said that the company values local business and views delivery.com as a tool for restaurants to grow their market.
“We want to bring all your local favorites in your neighborhood to your front door,” he said. “We can be a provider.”
Emory said that he wants every Battle Creek restaurant to use the service. Some 54 are currently involved.
“I’ll take every single one of them,” he said. “I think the delivery.com name will help with that because it is bigger. We might be able to get some of the restaurants that said no to us in the past.”
How does this affect people using Mr. Delivery?
Kleckner said that people used to using Mr. Delivery should have no problem using their service. The Mr. Delivery website and app will direct traffic to delivery.com, and any loyalty points earned with Mr. Delivery will be converted to delivery.com.
Emory added that the only major change is that consumers will need to have an email address to set up an account.
“Most everything is the same,” Emory said. “We’re just excited to continue expanding in Battle Creek. We love the area.”