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NEW WHEELS: Daniel Adam Smith delivers food for The Wheelhouse. Co-owner Melissa Smallwood says the move has bolstered winter sales.
NEW WHEELS: Daniel Adam Smith delivers food for The Wheelhouse. Co-owner Melissa Smallwood says the move has bolstered winter sales.

Diners dabble in delivery

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Pizza delivery has been a commodity in American homes for years, but recently other restaurants are taking to the streets with their own delivery services.

Panera Bread made its first delivery in Springfield on Oct. 4 and now delivers from four of its five cafes in town. The Wheelhouse LLC started delivering from its food truck at 1670 St. Louis St in January, and Druff’s at 331 Park Central East began on March 13.

From corporate to mom-and-pop, each restaurant sees it as a way to reach more customers and drive sales.

“It’s all just a part of expanding for our customers’ convenience,” said Claudine Stark, director of marketing for Panera franchise operators Traditional Bakery Inc. and Oklahoma City Bakery Inc.

Panera delivers on orders over $5 that are within an 8-minute drive of the specified location. With a set delivery fee of $3, customers can place delivery orders through the Panera Bread app or on its website.

In order to offer delivery of its bagels, sandwiches and salads, Panera Bread hired 40 drivers and kitchen staff in Springfield. Local Panera officials say delivery has increased sales by 5-10 percent at the stores, which are registering a wide range of activity per day: 30 to 100 deliveries per store. Stark declined to disclose Panera’s investment to start delivery.

Brian Camey, president of The Traditional Bakery Inc./Oklahoma City Bakery Inc., said via email he does not see delivery as a trend, but as a way to remove barriers so customers can get food when and where they want it.

Melissa Smallwood, co-owner of The Wheelhouse, said the food truck began offering delivery of its Thai and Mexican cuisine to combat a drop in sales during the winter. The food truck doesn’t have indoor seating or a shelter. The company hired two employees to assist in deliveries and averages about three deliveries per lunch and dinner hours out of its 100-160 daily transactions.

Deliveries cost $3 with a minimum purchase of $20 within three miles. Smallwood said the only cost to start delivery was for the additional employee salaries.

Druff’s is adjusting to the delivery services it offers. The specialty grilled cheese diner in the downtown Sky Eleven building announced the service to existing customers via email, but owner Vance Hall said the company won’t promote it on social media or elsewhere until hiring additional staff. So far, the company has delivered about three orders per day. It only offers delivery 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on orders over $15, and there is no delivery charge.

So why not offer delivery?

St. Michael’s Sports Bar and Grill downtown hasn’t considered delivery, said manager Courtney Ukena. She said the food is better right when it’s ready, and operators want the atmosphere of the restaurant to contribute to the food experience.

“The atmosphere here is part of what makes St. Michaels,” Ukena said.


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