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Eating Out InHome with a global choice of cuisines. Food delivery makes Eating Out InHome possible. Fine-Dining level foods. to ethnic foods to convenience foods. The perfect EatingOut InHome experience is an online order away.
LET'S TALK DELIVERY
delivery noun
de·liv·ery | \ di-ˈli-v(ə-)rē
Definition of delivery
: the act or manner of delivering something
About Food Delivery Services
Food Delivery Service
Modern day food delivery service that utilizes an online Internet connected system, 1995. started in the 1950's and flourished by the 1960s.
World Wide waiter operated through waiter.com
Grubhub (started 2004), UberEats (started 2014), and DoorDash (started 2013) make up 3/4 of the food delivery service market.
Key Points
CUSTOMER
FOOD SERVICE OPERATION
DRIVER
PACKAGING
VIRTUAL RESTAURANTS
LEARN MORE CLICK HERE
Rise of Food Delivery Service
COVID changed the way society fed themselves. The delivery services (Uber Eats, Grub Hub, Doordash) provided commercial grade food and meals dropped at your door or handed to customers directly. This type of service compelled the Merchants to change (for the better) how their food offerings are handled. They improved food safety and product quality. How did this happen?
This was discovered by Chefs that got jobs working for a 3rd Party Delivery service. The Chefs found that many (but not all) food service operations had to package their food and beverage products in appropriate containers that could be properly sealed. This prevents contamination as well as loss through spillage.
How Food Delivery Works
- Merchants (the individual food service operations that participate) use a specific for a service.
- The Merchant's customers use their own app. to order food from a Merchant.
- The Merchant receives and processes the Order.
- The Delivery Service Driver is notified through their app. that there is an order that needs to be Picked Up and then Delivered to the Customer that placed the order.
The Merchant handles the online Order like they would an order placed in person or over the phone. The difference (with delivery service orders) is that the food and beverage items must be sealed and packaged for transport by the 3rd party delivery service. eg. A Drive Thru Order and Pick Up Fast Food establishment will routinely provide a beverage with a lid that has slots or openings in some form. Fluid can easily seep through the slits. A beverage packaged for delivery service will have a food safe sticker applied covering the slits in the lids.
Packaged to Travel
The food items should be in proper containers for that type of food item.
Hot foods must be in a proper hot food container. A sealable container designed to hold hot food is preferred. Proper Hot Foods containers should be made from food safe material and can withstand prolonged hot temperatures. Also the container should be able to be sealed. Not just closed like the Paper to-go boxes and the styrofoam trays with a hinged lid.
Cold foods must be in a container that is designed to hold cold temperature foods & beverages.. Proper Cold Foods containers must be made from food safe material that will not melt due to moisture. Also the container should be able to be sealed. To prevent spillage and retain Cold temperature.
Everything else that is needed for the customers meal must be properly packaged. Condiments, sauces, sides and eating utensils must be provided in safe sanitary methods. All these factors have to be handled by the Merchant Staff. The Delivery Service Driver then has to confirm that all Ordered items have been included and properly packaged for travel.
Once the Driver has confirmed the Order is ready for Pick Up, all the food items are placed in temperature control Bags that maintain the current temperature of the Beverages and Food items. The Bags are then secured for transport in the Driver's vehicle.
Delivery times vary with each delivery. Average time (from experience Driving in Reno, South Reno, Sparks and Sun Valley) is about 15 minutes.
From experience it has been found that a Hot Food item placed in a temperature control bag will retain a temperature close to what it was when it was picked up.
NOTE: If a food item was allowed to sit for awhile before being Picked Up and placed in a temperature control bag it may have cooled considerably. Depending on also what kind of Food Safe To Go container was used. Commonly used (encountered by Delivery Drivers) containers are the styrofoam containers with a hinged lid and/or the brown cardboard food safe box that has fold down lids. Both types of containers are used because of lower costs. The problem is those types of containers (although food safe) cannot be sealed. This means temperatures are not held very well and spillage easily occurs.
Only a few establishments (in the Reno, Sparks, Sun Valley areas) package their Home Delivery Food items in the preferred temperature proper, sealable containers. Those types of containers cost considerably more. In most case at least double of the non sealable kind.
The professional Food Delivery Drivers found the big chains, Olive Garden and Chick Fil A notably provide the best Food take away containers. Most places, chain establishments included, use non sealable containers.
How To be a Good Customer
Detailed request, if needed.
Exact directions.
Provide location for delivery - table/box.
How To be a Good Deliver
Having supplies needed.
Follow exact details given.
Staying in contact with the customer.
Contact customer of any changes to order.
How To be a Good Food Service Operation
Provide delivery pick up location.
Greeting and Confirmation of pick up.
Bag N Tag N Label.
- Properly packaged order, with all items.
- Secure & Sealed.
- Proper label of order and customer.
Here is How Virtual Restaurants Work
A Virtual Restaurant Exists and Operates Online. There is NO dining room, lobby or any form of physical world amenities found in real restaurants.
The production of the food offerings and dishes are handled by a commercial food service kitchen.
A commercial kitchen is a kitchen that utilizes proper food handling equipment and is monitored by the local health department.
The kitchens for Virtual Restaurants are most commonly kitchens that are operating their own food service.
Example Chili's Restaurant chain operate their own commercial kitchen in their establishments for production of their menu.
Two virtual restaurants (in the Reno area) use Chili's kitchen to produce the food offerings for their virtual restaurants menu.
An Italian foods virtual restaurant and a wings primary menu virtual restaurant use Chili's commercial kitchen.
How Virtual Restaurants Operate walk thru
All food offerings and dishes can only be acquired via Food Delivery Service.
The only way to access the virtual restaurant is to go online to reach their menu.
The great benefit of Virtual Restaurants for the diner, one can order from different virtual restaurants creating your own feasts with foods of your desires from all flavors and types.
Eg. You can order 3 types of wings for an appetizer, big salsa for a starter, Italian main entree and gourmet desserts.
All can be done on the food delivery service app. Your custom meal delivered to your door.
All ordering of dishes and food offerings occur online. Communication regarding the order occurs online.
In order to get the food from a restaurant that does not have a physical world location to acquire the foods (like a dining room or counter window) a foods delivery service is used.
The dining customer goes to an online food delivery service .
There will be a list of restaurants and food service operations to choose from.
Simply choose one to access a menu.
All food offerings and dishes are produced in a commercial kitchen to insure food quality and public safety.
All food offerings and dishes are packaged for preservation of food safety and quality by the commercial kitchen.
The transportation and delivery of the foods order is handled by a third party foods delivery service. The delivery service driver picks up and transports a sealed packaged. How the foods and dishes are packaged is the responsibility of the food producer and distributor.
All food and beverage items must be packed properly and in a proper manner to best survive the journey.
Another great benefit of the Virtual Restaurant.
Food offerings and dishes that are unique and exotic and not available through the traditional food service manner.
Foods that are not easy to make yourself and/or can only be acquired from specialty food service operations are available through virtual restaurants.
Eg. Specialty ethnic foods dishes like steamed buns or adult flavored Mac and cheese. Few restaurant menus carry adult level Mac and Cheese. Steamed buns are available through ethnic bakeries. If there are no ethnic bakeries in your area you cannot get a steamed bun. You can though through a virtual restaurant and get a bowl of adult Mac and cheese with your steamed buns.
Virtual Restaurants List
The following is a list of Virtual Restaurants known (through research by EatingOutReno.com staff) to be actively operating in the Reno area.
- Cosmic Wings - virtual brand for Applebee's
Access their menu and order through GrubHub® app.
Production kitchen Applebee's on 4805 Kietzke Ln, Reno, NV
For full menu and to place order through Grubhub
Click here
To set up a Grubhub account ( must do to use the service) click here
GrubHub ® preferred food delivery service for EatingOutReno.com staff.
- It's Just Wings - virtual Chili's
Added cost for delivery service
Service charge --- $3.25
Delivery charge ---$1.99
Please go to their website click here
- The Meltdown - virtual brand out of Denny's
Click here to go to The Meltdown Virtual restaurant
Features: late night Dining delivery time 11:40pm 23:40
Delivery charge approximately $3.99 (subject to change and vary)
Production kitchen --- Denny's Diners kitchens.
- MrBeast Burger - operating out of commissary kitchen located in downtown Reno ( by the Ballpark)
Delivery charge may vary $4.99
Features: late night dining delivery time of 11:45pm 23:45
click here to go to their virtual restaurant
- Pasqually's Pizza & Wings - virtual out of Chuck e. Cheese Pizza
Delivery until 9pm /21:00
If you know of a virtual restaurant not listed here please email us VirtualRestaurant@eatingoutreno.com We will credit you with the find and post on our site.
- Twisted Mac - virtual out of Macaroni Grill
Attention Delivery charges vary from food service establishments.
$3.99 to $6.99 seems to be the current range at this time (winter 2024)
Some food services will have a $00.00 Charge for delivery.
Eg. Twisted mac charges $0 if you use grubhub for delivery.
Closes for delivery orders at 20:25 8:25 pm
- United India Kitchens
1091 S Virginia St, Reno
Virtual delivery only
Production kitchen
Order online through GrubHub®
For full menu and to order for delivery
Click here to go to Grubhub®
Production kitchen for United Kitchens of India
India Kabab & Curry
1091 S Virginia Street Reno, NV
Order online for India Ka- bab & curry
click here to go to their website
Virtual Dining Quick Guide - How-To
Attention! There are operational parameters that must be understood when using virtual dining service.
The Virtual Dining services that operate out of existing food service locations will operate at the same hours as the restaurant.
All virtual dining orders are delivered through a 3rd. party delivery service (like Doordash, Grubhub, uber eats, GrubHub Goods- convenience store foods.)
Ordering can be done one of two ways.
- Go directly to the Virtual Dining site
- Go through a food delivery service app. (Can be downloaded for free through your smartphones apps store.)
walk thru ORDER - virtual dining through The Virtual Dining Service Site
Once the site is completely loaded you will be presented the choices
Order for delivery and order for pick-up.
Choose Delivery.
Confirm the location you are ordering from.
Note:
All the virtual places listed have been confirmed as operating in Reno. As a result, when you are at the site you will be presented with a choice of at least one location in Reno.
The way the app works, it will display text asking you to "use your location" this means the site is recognizing that your phone is located in Reno.
Confirm
Use your location. The site should present you a choice of locations in your area that you are in at the present.
Attention: 8 miles from the production kitchen is the max delivery range for most Virtual Dining services in Reno.
After going through the process (described above) you should be presented the menu for the virtual establishment.
Enter all your desired food items.
Attention: All items must be ordered at the time of ordering. ie. If you want condiments, sauces or any related food items it must be ordered.
The delivery driver cannot ask the food service and the driver cannot add to the delivery package after it has been sealed by the food service staff.
After submitting your order the payment screen should appear.
Enter your card payment information.
Note: There is an added cost for virtual dining. (Cost above the cost of the actual food and drink items.)
The cost is for the convenience of eating out in - room.
For a solo diner cost is approximately
$4.00 to just below $6.00
For a couple
$6.00 to just under $8.00
There is a
$1.99 to $3.99 delivery charge (varies with each food service)
$3.25 to $5.25 service charge (varies with each food service)
Tip amount. Note: a default tip amount is often in effect. The site user can choose tip amount. If you do not it will often process a set amount like 20%. 15%| 20% |25% are choices
Other is also the choice to use if you want to enter an exact dollar amount. Eg. Instead of choosing a percent choose other and enter $5.00
You will also be able to select a time for your order to arrive, or select ASAP as soon as possible.
Enter all billing details and submit.
You will be feasting in your room within the hour.
Article by Chefs 10_E 02/13/2024
EatingOutReno.com©2019 to©2024 staff Chefs, Hospitality and Culinary professionals
Sources
GrubHub®
Https://GrubHub.com