A delivery service with a difference that gives 100pc of the food bill to restaurants has saved Norwich’s independent eateries over £30,000 in its first six months.
Norwich Urban Collective was launched in May this year by couple Samantha Woodhouse and Maryanne Moles with friends Adam Burt and Joel Rial - all of whom previously worked for national food delivery companies.
Whereas other companies take up to 30pc off the total bill in commission, Norwich Urban Collective gives all the money to the restaurants.
Instead there is a flat £5 delivery charge in addition to the food bill, with 100pc of that given to the driver, and there is now a team of 20 covering postcodes NR1 to NR3 and parts of NR4 to NR7.
Its first partner was Grosvenor Fish Bar, in Lower Goat Lane, and owners Duane Dibartolomeo and Christian Motta also let the team use the empty side room as their base.
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There are now 13 independent businesses signed up and the other 12 are Fupburger, The Garnet, Churros for the People, The Cuppie Hut, Flaming Galah, Arboretum Norwich, Sweet Treats Norwich, PONO Superfood Bar, The Assembly House, Moorish Falafel, Sir Toby’s Beers and Tofurei.
It has now made over 5,500 deliveries and the founders have worked out that they have saved Norwich restaurants a combined total of £33,000, based on an average order cost of £20 and the typical 30pc cut taken by national companies.
Miss Woodhouse said: “The reaction to Norwich Urban Collective has been phenomenal and we have had lots of support on social media.
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“The restaurants love us and they were gobsmacked with the amount of money we have managed to save and we used a modest average minimum order to work it out.”
Norwich Urban Collective’s plans for the future include expanding to other postcodes in Norwich and other cities, signing up more restaurants and the team is working with an eco advisor to achieve net zero emissions by the end of 2021.
Miss Moles said: “We knew we could do it better with both the riders and restaurants fairly paid and it is also about having the money stay in Norwich and not in the pockets of a big corporation.
“We helped some of these restaurants stay open in lockdown.”
Order at norwichurbancollective.co.uk
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