LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – A simple statement in five words hopes to offer customers options and a better quality for life in their hectic schedules.
“We deliver takeout to you.”
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Residents across Lake County can now order their favorite takeout from nearly a dozen restaurants through the food delivery service, Takeout Waiter.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mike Handy is still passionate about the food industry after having 20 years in the business.
After selling his company GoWaiter, Handy had no plans to get back into the food delivery business.
Until he learned franchisees had either left the franchise or shut down completely.
Then he knew after spending time with his five kids and wife Melessa, the company's corporate office manager, that it was time to start again.
This time the venture would be self-funded.
Takeout Waiter was launched in Jan. 2016, with the first location in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
“Serving our 'delivery' customers and making their lives better is our number one focus,” Handy said.
Keeping the customers in mind is something that is a part of the philosophy behind the business: make ordering easy, deliver variety and deliver quality.
The company has expanded to Columbus, Georgia, Greenwood, Indiana, Atlanta, Georgia and Orlando, Florida.
Delivering to smaller cities and un-tapped markets
Although the idea to branch into Lake County was an easy one.
Handy wanted to offer food delivery service to smaller cities and un-tapped markets.
“There are hundreds and hundreds of un-tapped markets out there and we hope to find a franchisee to own and operate each one,” he said.
The un-tapped market of Lake County that had traditionally only had pizza or Chinese delivery options before Takeout Waiter.
Keeping the customer in mind is something that North Lake County franchise owners, Jeffrey and Lonni Hales, wholeheartedly agree with.
The Hales relocated to Lake County from Alabama, only knowing family in the area, but have enjoyed meeting business owners and building the Takeout Waiter community in the county.
“North Lake County is not just home to Takeout Waiter now. It is also my family’s home, and when you order your favorite restaurant’s food to be delivered by Takeout Waiter, you’re helping our local economy one order at a time,” Jeffery Hales said.
A partnership with local businesses
The franchise started in North Lake County in July, and business owner Raudel Torres of La Palma Mexican Grill is a partner with the company.
“By having a company that can pretty much deliver everywhere over here that would be perfect, for the customers,” Torres said.
Torres said it is hard to find takeout options near his home on South 27 because not every company can deliver in his area.
The business serves from the south end of the county starting in Tangerine, running north to Fruitland Park, to Umatilla in the east and to Howey in the Hills in the west to every zip code in between.
“Whatever the customer is craving we want to get that for them,” Handy said.
Vitality Bistro, EZ Nutrition 101, Mellow Mushroom, Hurricane Dockside Griil, Bada Bing Pizza, China Star are some of the business partners.
The business is available from Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 9:00 p.m.
“We also take advanced orders,” Lonni Hales said.
Hales said you place an order the night before and have it delivered for a breakfast the next day with two restaurant options currently available: Cafe Ola and God Cafe.
So how does this work?
You place your address or zip code and designate a delivery time on NorthLake.TakeoutWaiter.com.
Then make your food selection from one of the restaurants listed on the website.
Check out and your food is estimated to be delivered in a half hour to an hour.
Customers are able to track food every step of the way once an order is placed, Hales said.
“Lovely to have this for Lake County! Thank you,” a customer who has tried the service commented
on the website.
There is a minimum order of $20 from a restaurant in the same city as the drop off location.
For food delivery to a different city, the minimum order is $30. The delivery fee for both is $4.99.
'Count on us for quality and consistency'
Hales said the focus their franchise expansion is to keep their eye on Lake County.
“We look forward to serving our friends-to-be in Lake County in our new home for many years to come,” he said.
A sentiment Handy wants people to remember about the brand.
“Eventually we want to be a national brand that everyone knows and can count on for quality and
consistency,” he said.
First-time customers can enter the code News6 for a special discount.