Qualitaly_117

JUN. JUL. 2020 VII competition is very high. Perhaps it would have been easier to start in a more peripheral area. But thanks to the choice to focus everything on the quality of our products, in the end we managed to gain the trust of our customers. How did you select the suppliers? We tend to produce most of the ingredients ourselves. Where this is not possible, we have decided to work alongside only those that represent excellence in their sector. It is no coincidence that our meats are produced by the butcher Oberto, vegetables and fish we buy from Metro cash and carry, the bread is produced by a bakery that still works with artisan method. For beers and drinks, we are supplied by Heineken Italia and many other quality foods are supplied by Agenzia Lombarda. And let’s move on to the most current events. A few months ago, before the arrival of the pandemic, you decided to create a ghost kitchen. Tell us what is behind this choice and how you developed the idea. Everything was initially born from the need to have a laboratory where we could create the preparations for our sandwiches. At the same time, we often work for public and private events, so having a professional kitchen is fundamental. For some time, a vegan chef with an international background has worked with us, always travelling around the world. One day she was the one who told me about how many ghost kitchens were born abroad. The lockdown was, paradoxically, the perfect moment to decide to throw myself into this new venture. That is, when we all started to understand that what had been our habits up to that moment, like going to the restaurant, would change. That’s when our StreetGourmand Lab was born. In April, in full lockdown, the choice to start home deliveries. How did you move in the beginning? It was natural to first decide to contact some of the different food delivery companies operating in our city, although, having the operational headquarters of the lab in Pero, in the Rho Fiera area, the only one who pushed their riders to us was Uber Eats. You then went on to employ your own ‘riders’ for deliveries. Why this choice? And what changed? Being unable - due to the lockdown - to operate in Milan with our food truck and having only one delivery partner, it was a compulsory choice to start delivering with our riders. Initially, as the job market was at a standstill, I called a number of friends and acquaintances who were out of work due to the pandemic, and thanks to them we took off. What kind of products are you most in demand for and what is your mainstay? I must say that our whole menu is quite successful. But without a doubt our My Caramel - which is also the name of our newly established Ltd. - is absolutely the most popular. Tell us about a typical working day in your ghost kitchen. How is the delivery work organised? The day starts very early, already at 7 am. I deal with everything concerning the relationship with suppliers, the supply of goods and the management of the bureaucratic part. My guys arrive in the kitchen around 10.30 a.m. when we start with the preparation of the line, and around 12 p.m. we start to process the first orders. From 3 to 5.30 p.m. we take care of the cleaning - intensified according to the current post-Covid sanitation regulations - at 6 p.m. we start again with the preparation of the evening line, and at 7 p.m. we are ready with the new orders, so until 10.30 a.m. And then again cleaning and work organisation for the following day. And at half past midnight, barring unforeseen circumstances, we finally go home. What, in your opinion, are your strengths and what do you think need to be improved? From our direct feedback with our most loyal customers, but also thanks to the reviews we receive on the various delivery sites, it is clear that people especially appreciate our value for money. That is the ability to deliver a good product at a competitive price. What we certainly need to improve is the speed of order processing. We currently travel about 20 minutes from order to delivery. We can and must do much better. What has been the customer response? Like all start-ups, we had a first phase of “break-in”. In Italy, street food - and more generally food delivery - has not yet reached the levels of many foreign countries. The pandemic has certainly given a new push in this direction. The obligation to stay at home has led many people to discover the home delivery service and to appreciate its usefulness. We too have therefore managed to make ourselves known and, above all, appreciated. Are you thinking of expanding the business? Of course, we are. The idea is to continue to grow both in terms of product quality and service capacity. What is your secret dream? My dream is to be able to continue to do my job, but always better. What