The name recalls a reliable family or neighborhood friend who brings home lunch or dinner. And this is precisely the mission of Alfonsino Delivery, the food delivery startup that aims to create a human, almost emotional, bond between the person who delivers and the person who orders and receives the food at home.
It was born in Caserta in November 2016, from a necessity and the intuition of 3 young people Carmine Iodice, 36 years old, Domenico Pascarella, 36 years old and Armando Cipriani 29 years old, who realized that in their city there was no home delivery service among restaurateurs and the inhabitants were forced to go out to go to the usual take away under their house.
But if the big food delivery giants aim to cover mainly the big Italian cities, to provide a home delivery service to small towns (from 50.000 to 250.000 inhabitants), it is Alfonsino Delivery, which allows you to order from the best restaurants, trattorias, sushi bars in small towns in a simple way, via chat on Facebook Messenger or through the classic App and receive your meal in 30 minutes.
“Alfonsino was born to offer a more “human” approach, closer to the needs of local communities and the inhabitants of small towns that are often not covered by any delivery service “as the large multinationals in the sector have little interest in being so widespread” – comments Domenico Pascarella, co-founder of Alfonsino.
“Alfonsino wants to be a sustainable food delivery both in the ways of involving riders, who are regularly employed by the company, and in the involvement of restaurateurs within the platform, going to support a category, that of restaurateurs, among the most affected by the current situation and who need new tools, but easy to implement, to make up for the loss of customers in recent months.”
To date, Alfonsino has approximately 943 affiliated restaurants, a number that should rise to 2021 by the end of March 1500 and covers approximately 300 cities and 6 regions. While the riders employed are 700 and the active customers are 250.000.
“We are aiming for digital food delivery to support customers and restaurateurs”
The Covid-19 pandemic containment measures approved by the government
tighten the noose once again on the restaurant sector. And the owners of trattorias, pizzerias, self-service restaurants, pubs, pastry shops, ice cream shops and rotisseries do not hide their fears of a return to lockdown, a phase that, according to the study by Bain & Company, in the period from March to mid-May, created a loss of turnover in the restaurant world of fourteen billion euros.
“In this particular moment, digital food delivery represents both a valid tool to respond to the needs of customers in small towns, who are less inclined to leave their homes to go to a restaurant, and a solution to a difficult situation for restaurateurs who can thus continue their business, without violating the rules imposed by the new measures aimed at containing the spread of Coronavirus infections” - adds Domenico Pascarella, co-founder of Alfonsino.
Thanks to Alfonsino pizza, kebab, hamburgers, sushi and much more arrive directly to your home in a few minutes, booking quickly and immediately in two ways: via Facebook chat, without credentials, thanks to the native chatbot developed in-house by the startup; or by downloading the Alfonsino app available for free on the App Store and Google Play Store where you also have the possibility of tracking in real time the rider who will deliver the meal, from the collection to the dedicated post-delivery assistance.
The startup made in the South that aims at employment: 3000 riders hired by 2022
The peculiarity of Alfonsino also lies in the methods of hiring riders who are hired directly by the company.
The startup wants to hire 2022 new collaborators by the end of 3000, for a total of 3.700 riders throughout the country, who will deliver food to homes by scooter or car, precisely to reach even the most distant homes, while maintaining the service coverage radius of 4 and a half km from the city center.
"A choice that goes against the trend, that of hiring riders, strongly desired to give the service a strong characterization of "familiarity" by humanizing the relationship between the rider and the customer. - explains Pascarella - All our riders have regular contracts and paid contributions, they receive a fixed salary for the shift covered plus a salary for each delivery made. It is a big commitment that we have taken on: 3 people from our team are engaged full time in the selection and training of riders, but I am sure that this is the right way to create a different, sustainable service that can create a significant social and economic impact in small towns".
In a perspective of service development, the search for riders in the territory is always active. With Alfonsino the delivery man can choose the date and time of work by selecting the shift directly in the app. Riders receive weekly payments, a free driver kit and earn a fixed amount for each shift taken.
To apply, simply fill out the form on the website https://alfonsino.delivery/driver
Over 460 thousand euros raised through crowdfunding
In 2018, thanks to the first equity crowdfunding campaign, closed in record time and raising 150.000 euros, the Caserta startup accelerated the growth process, increasing its team to 30 resources and the number of partner restaurants reaching 700.
In July, the startup was among the winners of the 2020 edition of the Unicredit Start Lab for the “Innovative Made in Italy” category, winning a grant of 10.000 euros, and, shortly before, it launched the second round of the crowdfunding campaign, on the 200Crowd platform, exceeding the set goal of 350.000 euros and reaching over 460 thousand euros and an overfunding of 131%. A milestone that will serve to reach more than 400 municipalities served by 2022, thus increasing the company's turnover tenfold, which, at the end of the current year, will generate a total turnover of over 3 million euros (+150% compared to the previous year)
Article published on 26 October 2020 - 20:24
