In Business

New business provides food delivery throughout the region

The economic crisis has launched many new businesses, including We Deliver. Owner Tim Lusk had been a consultant in the automotive industry when the downturn hit. So he and his wife decided to revisit a concept that Tim owned and operated in the 90s: food delivery.

“These types of services are very popular across the country and we thought the people of Northwest Indiana deserved more choices when it comes to their food delivery options,” Lusk said. “Except for pizza and Chinese food, local people had no delivery choices.”

So Lusk took his concept to a variety of restaurant owners and now provides food delivery ranging from steaks and seafood to salads, soups and appetizers. Customers pay a $2.50 fee.

Start-up capital was minimal. Lusk began the concept by selling the program to local restaurants, who pay a fee to participate.

“I look at this as a delivery program for restaurants to increase their exposure on the Internet,” he said. “Many restaurants have no Internet presence, and now their menu is on our website. They are also selling a lot more food by adding delivery.”

Yet Lusk said it was a tough sell in the beginning.

“It’s such a new concept that many restaurants were having a hard time with it,” he said. “They just didn’t believe the size of the delivery market. They were used to doing business one way.”

Through advertising, Lusk said business is increasing, the site is rising on Google searches and sales have tripled every month. He plans to add more services soon, like delivery of groceries and health care supplies.

“We eventually want to do more,” he said. “Our current model is more wide-reaching, but we have to do it in phases. I think there are many senior citizens and busy families in this area who can benefit from delivery services.”