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Richmond eatery phone app bridges gap in food supply chain during COVID-19

With line-ups at grocery stores and some delivery services backed up, one Richmond eatery has launched a phone application where people can buy food items from restaurant suppliers instead of grocery stores.
Goodbowl
Ajay Dhingra, president of GoodBowl, hopes to provide as much as he can to the community during COVID-19. Photo submitted

With line-ups at grocery stores and some delivery services backed up, one Richmond eatery has launched a phone application where people can buy food items from restaurant suppliers instead of grocery stores.

Ajay Dhingra, president of Goodbowl, said they saw a gap between restaurant suppliers, with an abundance of products, and residents who are trying to get food on their tables, while maintaining physical distancing.

“Many people are scared to go to grocery stores and many of the big companies have a one- to two-week delay for delivery…On the flip side, most of the restaurant suppliers have (a lot) of products that are not being used because most restaurants are closed. So, we asked ourselves how we could help … bridge that gap,” explained Dhingra

Goodbowl’s phone app offers curbside pick-up at their eatery, where a customer’s items can be either placed directly into the trunk of their car, or placed on a table next to a parking space for them to check before leaving.

Eggs, vegetables and poultry are some of the items they offer, with other items such as bread waiting to make it onto the list.

Goodbowl is also offering a pay-it-forward program where customers can pay for a health worker’s meals to be delivered every week.

“Being open, especially as a small business, is kind of a scary thought during COVID-19,” said Dhingra.

“We could’ve closed our doors and wait for (the pandemic) to end, but we decided to step up to help the community and those who are struggling as much as we are.”

The app is available for Android and Apple devices and can be found at https://craverapp.com/apps/goodbowl/