There’s an old saying that necessity is the mother of invention. At the beginning of the COVID pandemic it became obvious that the restaurant in-dustry would be especially hard hit by the shutdown. In order to survive, restaurants had to pivot to a takeout model using a variety of delivery service apps. It was during those early days of the pandemic that iDeliver was born.
iDeliver is a local food delivery app that was launched in May 2020 to help restaurants save on the high fees being charged by national brands like Uber Eats, DoorDash and SkipTheDishes.
The company was founded by Orléans residents and long-time friends Martin B. Charron, Marc Robert and David Scrive.
After seeing and reading news reports about how the national brands were over-charging local restaurants for their services, they decided to take the matter into their own hands and start up a local food delivery business that would create savings for local restaurants and their clients as well as better wages for their drivers.
In the early days the company was restricted in having to use the phone to take and confirm orders.
In order to compete with the national brands the three friends decided to invest in creating an app to make it easier for users to place an order and pay for it. Despite, several glitches at the outset, the app quickly resulted in a sharp increase in orders as area residents were eager to use a homegrown service, something they are extremely grateful for.
“We had some issues that needed to be ironed out, but the users were patient and they stuck with us,” says Charron.
No matter what, the team at iDeliver wake up every day with the same enthusiasm to make a difference and continue to improve the app and the experience. One thing they pride themselves on is their unparalleled customer service.
In particular, Charron is always available to help with anything. Whether you can’t place an order, have an issue with the app, or if something went wrong with an order, he can be contacted directly at 343-999-8068.
iDeliver is a labour of love and depends on the trust of the restaurants and the support of the community to keep operating and offering their local service.
They even established a promo code: LOCAL which is valid until the end of the year to help people save on every order.
The company is currently hiring additional drivers to help keep up with demand as they expand east and west of Orléans.
They also acquired Gopher-it Deliveries, a city-wide, award-winning courier company, last March.
You can place an order with iDeliver by visiting their website at idelivercanada.com, or download their app on the app store. To learn more about Gopher-it Deliveries visit gopheritdeliveries.ca.
ORLÉANS FARMER’S MARKET from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the parking lot at the Ray Friel Recreation Complex on Tenth Line Road featuring local food vendors and producers.
OAKTOBERFEST PARTY at the Royal Oak Orléans, 1981 St. Joseph Blvd. from 6-9 p.m. Live traditional music with the Ray Baumgarten Duo! Sample Germany's #1 Oktoberfest bier, Paulaner in a full litre or a half litre stein! Dine on some authentic German fare including homemade schnitzel and bratwurst! Don your liederhosen or dirndl and let's bring a taste of Munich to Orléans!!
CUMBERLAND FARMERS’ MARKET from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the R.J. Kennedy Arena, 1115 Dunning Rd. in Cumberland Village. The Cumberland Farmers’ Market features fresh vegetables, seasonal fruits, specialty foods, homemade treats and a variety of artisan goods.
BLACKBURN HAMLET CANCER CHASE fat the Hornet’s Nest, 1660 Bearbrook Rd. Doors open at 8:15 a.m. and the 5K walk/run begins just after 9 a.m. Bid on some great items in the silent auction, take fun photos at the selfie station, or learn about important cancer research and support services, Visit blackburnhamlet.ca/ cancer-chase for more information and to register/donate online.
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