by Marek Kulig.
Here’s a sundry list of things greater New Bedford residents can do while food delivery startup, GotChew, shortens the distance between locals and their favorite meals:
- Begin reading Moby Dick, carefully;
- Water the houseplants, the garden, take the dog for a walk;
- Relax in an easy chair, watch an episode of the latest, raved-about, half-hour Netflix series;
- Sit by the window, salivate;
- Grab fishing supplies and equipment; head to the marina.
That’s right. GotChew, which turned its wheels for the first time in March, will deliver to a marina–or any number of public places, for that matter. In fact, if you live within a five mile radius of a restaurant partnered with GotChew, you can use its smartphone app to drop a pin on a map and get food delivered there. Yes, you read that correctly—GotChew even delivers to coordinates.
Justin Baker, Ryan Caton, and William Gilmour, the founders of GotChew, had locals much like themselves on their mind when, on a jaunt to New Hampshire, the three friends came up with the idea and were brainstorming names. “The option of having food brought to you makes people happy,” says Caton, who oversees delivery operations and delivers orders himself. All of GotChew’s drivers are vetted, and in addition to delivering entrees and other menu items that include desserts and ice cream, they can bring drinks, utensils, and disposable plates. “No one wants to leave home when the game is on, you know?” continues Caton. And with Patriots season in full swing, Sundays—already the busiest day of the week for GotChew—may get even busier.
Delivering pizzas and Chinese is one thing, but the team at GotChew wants to make sure customers are as satisfied at home with gourmet burgers topped with locally grown ingredients and other delicately prepared meals as they would be eating those foods at the restaurants themselves. The same app that customers use to place an order also can be used to track an order from restaurant to doorstep. “We’ve done our research,” assures Caton. “We want the food to travel well, so we have insulated delivery bags and space blankets for food containers, and we’ll only deliver to a location within five miles of the restaurant.”
Caton says the response to GotChew has been great. Restaurants love its efficiency because it allows them to focus solely on in-house operations, and customers simply love the accessibility. “We had an elderly customer who we made really happy when we brought her favorite Cacoila Sandwich from Two Sister’s Express Food Truck. That felt good,” Caton gushed.
No longer is finding a good local restaurant that delivers meals akin to the search for the elusive white whale.
dNB Burgers, Fay’s Restaurant, Ma Raffa’s, Freestone’s City Grill, and Greasy Luck are among GotChew’s most popular delivery requests, and the company is continuing to expand its service to more clients.
Marek Kulig lives in South Dartmouth, and while he waits for a delivery from one of his local go-to’s, Marek can mix a cocktail or two, put his feet up and enjoy an aperitif on the rocks, or learn a poem by heart.