Have you ever been hungry at home and wished your favourite restaurant could deliver right to you? A Flin Flon entrepreneur thinks he has the answer.
Moolivery, an app-based delivery for hire service, is set to begin operations later this spring. Similar to other apps like Skip The Dishes or Uber Eats, the app aims to bring food to people who may not be able to make it to a restaurant to order their favourite dishes.
Moolivery would be the first app of its kind to be available in both Flin Flon and northern Manitoba.
“I’ve had the idea since January. I think the town could really benefit from the big city convenience of delivery at their fingertips,” said Mitch Foster, the creator of Moolivery “With the emergence of delivery apps, it has helped restaurants succeed above and beyond what they’re used to. It’s created jobs for the city the apps are available for.”
Someone interested in placing an order can either download the Moolivery app, visit the company’s website, or call a number to place an order through the service. From there, customers will be given a link to monitor their delivery in real time, tracking it to the moment the food comes to their door.
Foster said the company has received all relevant permits and will be making small donations to both the Flin Flon/Creighton and Area SPCA and the Lord’s Bounty Food Bank with each order.
“Moolivery will be taking on new potential partners two at a time to ensure that clients have adequate drivers and have established a good relationship with Moolivery before moving forward and asking new potential partners,” he said.
The company has already entered into a partnership with one local restaurant, inking a deal with Chicken Chef to deliver food from the restaurant.
Restaurant owner Dan Hlady is a supporter of the new company, pledging support for contractor delivery services like Moolivery.
“I think that it’s a fantastic idea. I’m all on board; 100 per cent in. Whatever we need to do to get this going on both ends, everyone’s been open,” he said.
“I foresee increased sales for us, I see a small business opportunity growing. It’s the way of the market. People do want to stay at home and they want to order when they want to order. It might not be at supper time. It might be at nine o’clock at night. Lives are changing and there’s only a limited amount of time.”
Foster said expansion to other stores and delivering other items, including groceries, dry goods or liquor, is on the table. Another agreement, a non-partner deal with Creighton’s Canton Restaurant, is on the table according to Foster, who added that delivery service for other restaurants and stores will be possible.
“Customers will be able to collect points towards free delivery and other perks brought to them by Moolivery,” Foster said, adding that he is considering opening an Uber-like public transit app in the future if Moolivery proves sound.
“The business will be offering delivery services for partner and non-partner restaurants and convenience store runs during the first few weeks of business with added services in the future. We are looking into grocery services, laundry services, prescription pick ups, coffee runs, alcohol runs and actually working on a separate taxi feature app, like Uber, for the near future.”
