On Ouchs hopes North Okanagan residents will fork over their business to help local restaurants.
Ouchs, who owns the Rice Box and created the app Driver Dispatcher, has come up with the hashtag #ForkTheDishes to indicate support for local restaurants and promote them to help with their profit margins.
“When customers order directly from the local restaurant for takeout versus using a third-party app, the owners are keeping 100 per cent of the food sale in their pocket,” said Ouchs. “With margins being so tight during these uncertain times, some restaurants are hit hard financially.”
Ouchs is asking people to order directly through the restaurants and post pictures with the #ForkTheDishes hashtag to give a little exposure to the restaurant.
“Using that hashtag means the restaurant owner keeps 100 per cent of the food sale and you have supported a local business,” said Ouchs, who has purchased gift cards from local restaurants and will be randomly selecting local customers who use the hashtag to win. He’s also used the Driver Dispatcher Facebook page to introduce special guest delivery persons, such as Spiderman, and has been giving away free meals.
Ouchs and his team started developing an app that would help all small business owners offer home delivery services to their customers by providing better service and rates that are actually affordable.
The Driver Dispatcher app became a way to help local restaurants, including his, thanks to an increased demand for home deliveries from restaurants and other businesses. It launched in September 2019 and, after fixing a few bugs, really came into prominence when the first wave of COVID-19 struck.
“It’s obvious that door-to-door delivery is in high demand these days, and it shows no signs of slowing down – in fact, it only continues to grow,” said Ouchs. “Our objective is to help other small business owners increase revenue by offering home delivery service to their customers, both current and future.”
The app is available for mobile devices for business owners and potential delivery drivers. The website ddispatcher.com explains how the service works and how customers can take advantage and help support local business.
“It’s gone well,” said Ouchs of his app and of his delivery service. “We have super happy owners and we have super happy customers.”
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