JOSEPH PATRICK ROBERTS
Owner Alex Ward eventually hopes to expand Food Pedaler's delivery footprint from downtown and the Central West End into the Grove, Shaw and the Delmar Loop.
Alex Ward is sending his fleet of Food Pedaler bikers on a new mission this year — in fact, you could say that he's sending them on several new missions.
Ward, who bought the company from original owner Tim Kiefer in July 2019, says one of the new changes he's excited about is a subscription service and free delivery for customers with premium memberships.
"There's a huge trend now with subscriptions like HelloFresh and Blue Apron," Ward says. "People don't even have to think about it if it's a product they would like regularly and it's brought to them on bike. It's connected to the Food Pedaler that they know and it's sustainable form of transportation. And that's one of the most important aspects of our business."
The subscription service features packaged foods, including fresh roasts from Blueprint Coffee, cold-pressed juices from Hello Juice & Smoothie and hand-crafted ice cream (including vegan flavors) from Clementine's Naughty and Nice Creamery. Members can choose the frequency of their deliveries ranging from one delivery per week, every two weeks or every four weeks. The premium delivery option costs $11.99 a month to get unlimited free deliveries from a list of partnering restaurants.
Another new program that Ward is especially excited to introduce is a philanthropy partnership with The Fit and Food Connection, which provides low-income families in the St. Louis area with food assistance by delivering groceries, providing access to physical fitness classes and other wellness resources. Through the partnership, Ward pledged to donate 50 cents to the non-profit for every order delivered by Food Pedaler.
"Fit and Food Connection is very close to my heart," Ward says. "And, I'd say [its mission] fit well with Food Pedaler, because we're on bikes getting exercise and we're delivering food, much like Fit and Food Connection does."
Food Pedaler also recently debuted a new app and a completely refreshed and redesigned website. The app is available for both iPhone and Android users and customers can order meals through it with just a tap of their finger. For Ward, this level of convenience is key for a concept like Food Pedaler.
As Food Pedaler continues to develop, Ward hopes to expand his bicycle-powered company to the Grove, Shaw and the Delmar Loop. The business is also looking to grow the number of restaurants it partners with for deliveries in the St. Louis area.
"Growing our roster of restaurants will continue to impact people," Ward says. "They'll have more options to choose from. It would especially impact the restaurants, too — we're adding value to their business."
The Food Pedaler currently offers delivery service in downtown St. Louis Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. If you're hungry in the Central West End, its hours are Sunday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and again for dinner service from 5 to 9 p.m.
