As restaurants look to rebound from the dine-in closures imposed during the pandemic, delivery businesses are getting a boost due to the demand for to-go orders.
That's why many restaurants have decided to work with a locally-owned delivery system called “Café Runner.”
"One of the big reasons we specifically chose Cafe Runner is first, they are locally owned. We really think that's important, like keeping your dollars in your community and also supporting those that support you," said Chrystal Trenado, owner of Cubanisimo in Orcutt.
Locals supporting locals during these hard times - something very important to many around the Central Coast.
"Since the pandemic began, business has been really busy. It's been a lot busier than usual,” said Brian Breon, owner of Café Runner.
Café Runner is a delivery system that has been around for about 22 years.
They work with more than 80 restaurants in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
But even with the constant demand, Breon says he hasn't needed to add any more staff.
"Multiple of our delivery guys are part-timers so we were just able to give them a lot more hours now, so it's actually great for them, for the employees because now they work a lot more and make a lot more money than when we were much slower,” Breon said.
For some restaurants, the commission paid to delivery services can be costly.
Breon says Café Runner makes 25% which Trenado says is well worth it.
"Some people aren't comfortable leaving their homes, you know. Some people, maybe they take care of their grandma so even though they're young and healthy, they've got someone at home that they need to take care of and so being able to have that low-touch environment and still be able to get food I think is important," Trenado said.
The owner of Café Runner says his staff consists of 25 employees including himself and his wife.
A Café Runner app is available in the app store.
