Northeast local Douglas Besch started a third-party food delivery business, called Time to Eat Pennsylvania, to serve the Northeast.
Besch, a US Army veteran, said he hopes to compete with popular third-party giants like GrubHub and DoorDash.
“We are dedicated to giving restaurants a better deal than they get with the big delivery companies, by lowering the cost of providing delivery services for them,” Besch said.
Food delivery services, which allow customers to order online or on an app, charge both restaurants and customers; restaurants pay a percentage on each order, while customers pay delivery fees.
The commission rate for restaurants using established services can vary from 15-30%, meaning 15-30% of the cost of the meal goes to the delivery service instead of the restaurant.
Besch’s commission rate for restaurants that partner with him is 10%. He said he hopes to not only provide a cheaper alternative for local businesses, but to keep customers’ money local as well.
“I’m a local guy. Everything that is paid to me stays in this community because this is where I live,” Besch said.
In order to further serve the community, Besch said he hopes to hire veterans as he expands and needs more drivers.
“I wasn’t in the Army during a war time or anything, but even so, when I got out it was tough to adjust back to civilian life. I didn’t know where to go because the job I had in the Army wasn’t really transferable,” he said. “I know the struggle.”
For now, Besch himself drives with some assistance. He also supports the local food bank Feast of Justice and plans to incorporate donations to the Wounded Warrior Project once he starts generating profit.
According to Besch, working a business in its infancy has challenges, but he is optimistic about expanding to other sectors of delivery work.
“Ten weeks in, I don’t know what to expect. I’m a construction worker by trade. You want it to take off right away,” he said.
His website, TimetoEatPennsylvania.com, is up and running. Besch hopes to work on this project full time and use it as a way to give back to veterans and the Northeast community at large. ••
