Pilot Phase of Our Community-based, Free Food Delivery Service of Carmel Restaurants
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Carmel Delivers different from other delivery services?
The three problems we are trying to solve are the high cost charged by delivery companies (which often lead to higher prices for the customer), quality of service, and helping our restaurant workers. We solve the first one by donating our time and resources to minimize the cost to the restaurant. They pay only $2 per delivery, instead of 20-30% of revenue. We hope to elevate the quality because it is our trained hospitality staff that is volunteering to deliver. Last but not least, we are trying to support those restaurant workers that are most impacted by the restrictions of the pandemic. They are volunteering their time and resources, and depend on your generous gratuity to help make ends meet.
Can I order from any Carmel restaurant?
We hope to include all restaurants eventually. In this Pilot Phase, we are testing the service with a limited number of restaurants. We expect to be adding more in waves over the coming months.
Can I order alcoholic beverages via Carmel Delivers?
Yes. You must be 21 or older to order alcohol, but most of our restaurants offer wonderful wines, spirits, beer, even pre-made cocktails. Driver will need to verify age at the door, so an adult 21 or older will need to show proof of age when the delivery is made.
Is there a minimum order?
We encourage a minimum order of $25 or more to make it worth while. Order a bottle of wine or beer. Add a cocktail or dessert with your order. Order lunch for tomorrow. It is the minimum need to cover the restaurant's investment in to-go packaging, $2 for the service, and the volunteer's time and fuel.
How much does delivery cost?
Carmel Delivers is free to the customer, however, we encourage a $25 minimum order. For the restaurant, we charge only a $2 per order fee, to cover insurance for the volunteer driver. Third party delivery services charge 20-30% of the order amount, which is unsustainable for the restaurant.
How is the delivery person making money?
100% gratuities. The tip you leave when you pay for your order is all going to the volunteer to provide for their time and dedication, pay for gas, wear-and-tear on their vehicle, and hospitality.
Is my meal or donation tax deductible?
No. Carmel Delivers is not a 501c organization. We are simple a not-for-profit model, meaning we donate our time and resources to provide this service.
Why can I only get delivery 4:30-7:30pm?
We are testing the service in a smaller window of time, until we can scale the number of restaurants and the times we can offer delivery. We hope to expand our hours very quickly to offer breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late night deliveries.
Will you be expanding your delivery area?
We hope so.. For now, we are estimating a 10 minute radius, so that volunteers are not driving for long periods of time. If we are able to expand the radius in the future, we will. If you are outside of our delivery area, please send us a note and we will do our best to accommodate any exceptions.