You might have read our recent blog about the evergreen Citroen HY van and why it's so beloved of street food vendors the world over.
It was a popular piece, which got us thinking about other vehicles used to deliver goodies to customers. Here in the UK, with its dodgy weather, it'll usually be a car that drops off your grub, especially in the suburbs. Not particularly riveting, to be fair, but needs must and all that.
If you look a little closer though, you'll find other well-known runarounds that ensure that doorstep food deliveries arrive in great shape, ready to enjoy.
Honda Super Cub
Many will associate these 50cc commuter mopeds with pizza deliveries, although they're rarely used these days. But it's a classic image of a rider with a large box on the rear pannier weaving through traffic to drop off hot pizza.
Interestingly, at launch, Honda marketed the Super Cub to soba noodle delivery companies in bustling Japanese cities. Their clutch-less design was perfect for making quick progress in traffic while carrying all kinds of cargo.
As Mr Honda commented, 'This is a bike that a soba noodle delivery man can ride with one hand and a stack of noodle trays balanced on his shoulder.'
Piaggio Ape
Everyone's heard of Vespa scooters made by Italian engineering firm Piaggio. Vespa is the Italian word for wasp, in case you didn't know. But even if you haven't heard of the Piaggio Ape or Bee, you've almost certainly seen one on your travels.
These micro vans allow deliveries in labyrinthine Italian cities where full-sized cars cannot reach. These days they are often used as mobile coffee vans or cocktail bars. And, like the HY van, they are a superb marketing platform for food and drink businesses to attract punters.
Train
This seems a rather bulky vehicle for this purpose. But trains form the basis of a daily food delivery network run by a small army of Dabbawalas in Indian cities.
Using a largely manual system, daily deliveries of up to 200k tiffin boxes containing simple meals of daal and chapatis make their way to hungry office workers. The boxes are sorted, transported, delivered, and returned using the Indian railway system. It's claimed the process is so refined it makes only one mistake for every 6 million deliveries.
That's pretty remarkable for a lo-tech admin system.
Bike
In city centres, the most efficient way to deliver meals is on a bike. Delivery riders can bypass traffic, can take handy shortcuts and avoid parking fines. In many ways, the good old pushbike is still the ultimate food transport system.
These days you see lots of delivery cyclists with distinctive boxy backpacks zipping around urban streets. They're dropping off an array of international dishes to punters city-wide. One major food delivery portal, in particular, is well-known for using bike couriers. But, alas, these customers are also paying far too much for their grub.
But that's a story for another day.
Droids' n' Drones
Looking forward, it's not going to be long before high tech solutions become commonplace. Tests for the use of drones as well as motorised electric buggies are underway. If successful, these vehicles will autonomously bring food to the doorstep. Dominos is currently testing this technology in Houston, US, using a self-driving kit from robotics company Nuro.
It'll be a landmark day when one of these turns up at your house with some hot food, but at least you won't have to tip the driver!
It All Starts With An Order
It really doesn't matter what vehicle you use to drop off your meals. It's the ease of ordering that clients care about most. And using a branded food delivery app is the most efficient and cost-effective way to quickly get tasty food delivered. This is where the real innovation lies. Having your own app will power orders, make marketing a doddle and help you build customer loyalty.
Whats more, getting an app is much cheaper than buying a new car or similar!
Unlike other food ordering platforms, we're committed to your success, so call our team today on 0161 222 7672 or visit www.orderdigital.co.uk to find out more.
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