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It may not be done in a New York minute, but Pavel Danilov and Anton Gladkoborodov, co-founders of Fridge No More, want to deliver your groceries in 15 minutes—on a bike.
Online grocery services have never been more popular since the current crisis made even everyday tasks seem Herculean. In the early days, ordering FreshDirect was basically impossible when you wanted your groceries delivered. In New York, a however, local farmers started delivering to homes and some restaurants even started selling produce boxes or converted to grocery stores.
But Danilov and Gladkoborodov launched their business this week to offer a faster and cheaper grocery delivery service to entice New Yorkers. They claim to offer a 15-minute delivery—with no minimum purchase required—within a one-mile radius of their “storefront” by using electric bikes for a more convenient and environmentally-friendly service. Currently, they only operate in Williamsburg with a Park Slope slated to follow later this month. There are plans to open in Manhattan.
“When people want to eat, they don't want to wait,” says Danilov, the CEO of Fridge No More.
The service doesn’t offer as many options as some competitors—there are currently two brands for whole milk, for example—but the curated inventory allows the service to be more efficient, according to Danilov, who’s also invested in other food start ups. On the Fridge No More app, you’ll find about 800 items, but they plan to grow it to 3,000 or so in a warehouse-like space.
“We want customers to have choices but not feel overwhelmed,” adds Danilov, who worked on the concept before much of the city initially shut down in March.
Fridge No More’s quick service is also meant to give people an option to not feel like they have to stock up their fridges and freezers with a one-time order. It’s supposed to help prevent food waste, too.
“If you start meeting the customers’ demands, their behavior changes,” Danilov says.“I think it's a challenge ,but I think we're ready for that.”
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