Food Pedaler 2023: We're St. Louis City's favorite bike-powered restaurant delivery service. Our fast, friendly & remarkable Pedalers bring you the best food in town when you want to stay in!

Today, Delivery Rank presents an exclusive interview that will take us on a journey through the intersection of gastronomy and sustainability. We have the pleasure of conversing with the visionary founder of Food Pedaler, Alex Ward. With his revolutionary approach to food delivery, Alex has transformed the culinary landscape by putting pedal power at the forefront of his eco-conscious venture. Food Pedaler is a groundbreaking food delivery platform that has revolutionized the way people enjoy delicious meals in the comfort of their homes.

What inspired you to start Food Pedaler, and how did you come up with the idea for your business?

I bought Food Pedaler in 2019 from a local business owner named Tim Kiefer. He founded the business in 2013 to create a high-quality, hyper-local delivery service focused on environmental sustainability and remarkable customer service. Started the company with just his bike, a smart phone and a laptop.

How do you select the local food vendors and producers you work with, and what criteria do you use to ensure the quality of their products?

We partner with locally-owned restaurants of all types (plus one national brand) who are located within our delivery service areas. I research the restaurants and either order to go or go in to eat in person, to try their food before approaching them about partnering. We have so many incredible restaurants in St. Louis, and the main prerequisite to be a partner is that they’re set up for to-go. 

In what ways do you see Food Pedaler contributing to the local food ecosystem, and how do you think your business is helping to create a more sustainable food system?

Food Pedaler offers an eco-friendly alternative to car-based delivery services, as well as highlights the local food options over fast food or chains. We focus on offering our partners and fans the best service possible, and local restaurants can count on us to deliver their food reliably and presenting it in the best way possible.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face in running a business that relies on local food production and distribution, and how do you overcome them?

In the past couple of years, the biggest challenge we’ve faced has been competing with national delivery services like UberEats and DoorDash, who have a seemingly endless supply of venture capital at their disposal. In my opinion, their goal is to beat out the rest of the market by offering the lowest prices possible, while also spending an exorbitant amount on advertising. To compete, we’ve doubled down on offering the best service we can, and focusing on what sets us apart–remaining committed to environmental sustainability and truly supporting local restaurants.

How do you see the local food movement evolving in the coming years, and how do you think Food Pedaler can continue to play a role in shaping that evolution?

The local food movement is going to continue moving toward providing the most convenient ordering options for customers to get the food they want on demand. Restaurants should be sure to offer at least one reliable option for ordering takeout and delivery online.

Additionally, restaurants are becoming fatigued by the many sources of orders coming at them, often cluttering up their counters with tablets. Third-party delivery will become more integrated into restaurants’ own in-house ordering in two ways–POS integrations, meaning third-party delivery orders will go straight to restaurants’ POS–and Delivery as a Service (DaaS), meaning customers will be able to order delivery straight through restaurants’ in-house online ordering, which will relay the orders to a fleet of couriers.

Food Pedaler can provide restaurants with online ordering for takeout and delivery, and also integrating our orders into restaurants’ digital infrastructure to provide the most streamlined solutions possible, with POS and DaaS integrations.

If you would like to find out more about Food Pedaler,  visit https://www.foodpedaler.com/#/home