FALL RIVER — Pizza and Chinese food have long reigned as delivery staples, but now Fall River residents have an array of dining delivery options with GotChew.
Turns out, cheeseburgers, delivered fresh and hot to customers’ homes, are what people have been really craving, at least according to Will Gilmour, a co-founder of GotChew.
The food delivery service that started in New Bedford in March 2017 now offers the same service in Fall River. GotChew launched in Fall River on Sept. 17 and like the company's customers in New Bedford, cheeseburgers are one of top items ordered, said Gilmour.
GotChew’s first partnership with a Fall River restaurant was JJ’s Coney Island Hot Dogs, a landmark hot dog joint in the city that also made its way into national publications as one of the last places around to sell the weirdly delicious hot cheese sandwich. Not to be confused with a grilled cheese sandwich, the cheese on this sandwich is simmered in a steam table and takes on a lumpy consistency that’s ladled into a hot dog bun. Sure enough, the hot cheese sandwich is on the delivery menu for JJ’s Coney Island Hot Dogs along with a deal offered last Friday for buy five hot dogs and get one free.
“I was so happy when we got them,” said Gilmour, of JJ’s. Gilmour said their plan was to form delivery partnerships with 10 restaurants initially and now, just shy of two months in, they already have 17 Fall River restaurants and counting that have signed up for GotChew delivery.
The iconic Al Mac’s Diner was another restaurant Gilmour was happy signed on as partners. “We had to get that one,” he said.
So far, he said, Scotti’s Pub and Barrett’s Waterfront and Alehouse restaurants have been among the most popular from the selection that includes Asian Sense, Nick’s Hot Dogs, Juice’d Café, Avo’s Feast, Ed’s Famous BBQ, Faneek’s Coney Island, New York Platter, Plan it Eats, Jersey Mike's and Famous Churrascaria Avenese.
They also just recently partnered with Thirsty Joe’s Café and in a week or so, Taqueira Habanero will be on board adding authentic Mexican fast food to the delivery options.
Those craving a fix from their favorite restaurant simply place the order through the GotChew mobile app or website and the food is delivered within 30 to 45 minutes. There’s a GotChew delivery fee of either $3.99 or $4.99 noted with each restaurant along with expected delivery times, ratings and types of cuisine.
From there, customers click on the restaurant of their choosing and place their order, then simply wait for the food to arrive. Tipping the GotChew delivery driver is also welcomed. The drivers have insulated bags to keep the food warm and before they get hired, GotChew does a background check on them, added Gilmour.
Got Chew also offers specials in partnership with select restaurants from time to time. Usually when they sign up a new restaurant, Gilmour said they might offer free delivery from that restaurant for a week so customers have the option of trying a place they may not have considered.
Gilmour and his business partners, Ryan Caton and Justin Baker, came up with the idea for the food delivery service shortly after graduating college. Caton, who went to college in Boston, missed food delivery services like Grubhub and Foodler when he moved back to the SouthCoast. Fresh out of college, the three friends, who all majored in the sciences, started kicking around the idea for the food delivery service. On a drive to New Hampshire, Caton came up with the name GotChew. “I was like, that’s it,” recalled Gilmour of the play on gotchu. “If you have a crazy idea, go for it.”
They took their concept to the EforAll entrepreneurship pitch contest in September 2016 and won their first pitch, which gave them $1,500 seed money and the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of owning a business through EforAll’s entrepreneurship program.
They launched in New Bedford in March 2017 with three restaurants and now have a grand total of 50. Some of the most popular there include Freestone’s and Not Your Average Joe's. Hamburgers, cheeseburgers, steak tips, chicken wings, chicken tenders and sushi top customer preferences.
Mary’s Steamed Burgers and DnB Burgers are the two top sellers of cheeseburgers, said Gilmour.
And not surprisingly, Friday and Saturday nights are jamming for the GotChew drivers.
Lunch times are also hot, especially since people can place their food orders in the morning through GotChew, before restaurants even open and have it delivered to their workplace just in time for lunch.
They recently partnered with Farm Thrift, another EforAll business that brings farm fare and fresh seafood to customer’s doors. And in a few weeks, Gilmour said they will also be adding liquor store and convenience store deliveries.
For more information about GotChew, visit www.gotchew.co or download the mobile app.
Email Linda Murphy at lmurphy@heraldnews.com.