Sacramento dining is about to get a little more convenient.
Food-delivery service Caviar, acquired by the San Francisco-based Square in August of 2014, uses a fleet of drivers to offer delivery services for restaurants that wouldn’t otherwise invest in their own on-staff delivery. The company works in 17 markets across the nation, including Minneapolis, Chicago, Seattle and Portland — and starting Oct. 13, Sacramento has been added to that list.
“Sacramento is known for its culinary scene,” says Catherine Ferdon, a spokesperson with Caviar. “It boasts some of the best restaurants in Northern California, and we’re thrilled to partner with so many of them at launch.”
Customers download the Caviar app and order from a list of menu items pre-determined by restaurant owners. The restaurant is alerted of the order via the app on a Caviar-provided iPad. The 23 participating Sacramento restaurants include Cafeteria 15L, Mayahuel and Hot Italian (a full list is available at the end of this article).
“With Caviar, business owners, chefs and kitchen staff can keep their focus on their food and the customers in front of them, while we take care of the delivery logistics,” Ferdon says.
Andrea Lepore is already a satisfied restaurateur customer. She currently uses the service at Hot Italian in Emeryville and is excited to launch the partnership at her Sacramento location. Lepore says Caviar cuts overhead costs, like car insurance and workers’ compensation she would pay an in-house delivery driver, while still allowing the restaurant to reach new customers who might not be able to conveniently frequent the establishment.
“The great thing about Caviar for us, and I hope we’ll see the same thing here, is it expands our reach in the East Bay,” Lepore says. “We’re able to get out to parts of Oakland, Berkeley and also Albany.”
“We had been approached by other ‘fly-by-night’ delivery companies, and we weren’t comfortable going with a company that we weren’t sure would deliver our food in the same state as when it left the restaurant,” she continues. “With Caviar, it’s the quality control: They have a lot of drivers and a GPS system. From a technological standpoint, they are very advanced in the delivery world.”
Lepore hopes the Sacramento partnership will help Hot Italian, located in midtown, reach parts of West Sacramento, Arden Park, Fair Oaks and South Land Park. She also says the service will allow her establishment to capitalize on office workers who may not have time for a sit-down lunch.
“[Caviar] is very user-friendly, from both a customer as well as a restaurant standpoint,” says Lepore. “They’ve been great to work with in the East Bay, so I’m really excited about launching here.
To celebrate the company’s Sacramento launch, Caviar is offering a $25 credit toward future deliveries to its first 100 customers. Delivery fees are waived for first-time customers, and delivery fees will only cost $1 for the duration of this month. Participating restaurants include: Hot Italian, Pizza Rock, Cafeteria 15L, 58 Degrees & Holding Co., Mayahuel, Ma Jong’s, Fahrenheit 250, Good Tuchews, Thai Canteen, Federalist Public House, Burgess Brothers Barbeque & Burgers, House Kitchen & Bar, Bombay Bar & Grill, Liquidology, Oscar’s Very Mexican Food, Ink Eats & Drinks, Osaka Sushi, Indo Cafe, Kathmandu Kitchen, Metro Kitchen + Drinkery, Gordito Burrito, Lotus Thai and Mana Sushi.