Munchie menders
Web site lists all delivery options in area
Sophia Tam
All the restaurants in the Orono area can now be found in one place: WeDoDelivery.com.
"We now have both Orono and Bangor listed on our site," said Tony Gribben, cofounder of the August 2007-created Web site. The site lists dining establishments that deliver in specific areas across America. The Bangor and Orono area currently host over 30 listings.
Gribben's idea for WeDoDelivery.com was inspired by a vacation to Bloomington, Minn. with friend Becky Pauly, his soon-to-be partner in the Web venture.
The two were searching for a bite to eat, and "not knowing which restaurants delivered in the area," the idea was born, Gribben said.
Gribben and Pauly researched restaurant delivery Web sites after the Bloomington trip and concluded that an e-business was a worthwhile endeavor.
"Several delivery services around the country exist in single larger cities, but nothing that is as comprehensive as we plan for WeDoDelivery.com," Gribben said.
The site was created in Pauly's Wisconsin home and began with a single city - Fond du Lac, Wis.
"The Web site started off listing local Wisconsin cities and slowly expanded to what it is today," Gribben said.
One of Gribben and Pauly's goals is to inventory as many cities as possible. WeDoDelivery.com currently lists 1,471 restaurants delivering in 43 states. One-hundred-nineteen cities are not enough; the ever-expanding site will soon add Bloomington, Minn. and Ruston, La. in its campaign of nationwide expansion.
"Since so much time goes into completing each city, we continuously update our listings," Gribben said.
The site also lists restaurant information, menus and a location map of restaurants. Gribben said that in due time, there will be printable coupons available on the site.
A web design graduate from Moraine Park Technical College in Wisconsin, Gribben understands the frustration of not being able to find the local restaurants that offer delivery.
Gribben believes that starting a convenient delivery guide can be a great help for college students. With daily classes and rigorous routines, Gribben predicts that students tire easily from solely dining on campus food. Students - particularly first-years - seeking more off-campus variety could face difficultly finding the restaurants, menus and delivery information.
"We make things easier on the busy college student by providing them with delivery dining options in their city. For incoming students who are unfamiliar with the areas, our site is especially helpful," Gribben said.
Gribben notes the popularity of online social networks like Facebook and Myspace and encourages students to add WeDoDelivery.com to their networks, as it benefits both the reputation of the site and students looking for quick food solutions. "We will soon have exclusive offers to everyone on our friends lists," Gribben said.
WeDoDelivery.com aims to benefit the dining industry in addition to college students. The site offers a simple "Get Listed" link on its main page for restaurant proprietors to add their establishment's information. Now, ordering food is as easy as hunting for DVDs on Ebay.
Gribben and Pauly hope that WeDoDelivery.com will become the largest delivery guide on the Web. Gribben prizes the site's straightforward interface. "We pride ourselves on allowing our visitors to access delivery information without having to create any type of account with us," Gribben said.
Although Gribben and Pauly receive site visitors from around the world, their primary focus is the U.S. for now.
2008 Woodie Awards


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