Crimson2Go, an online delivery service where you can order food from more than 20 restaurants, caters to University of Alabama students for $2.99. It was an idea born at Gainesville State College in Athens, Ga., by owner Ben Lapish, who visited Tuscaloosa and instantly fell in love with the town, students and championship athletic programs.
“I came to Tuscaloosa visiting in college and noticed all the great food here in town,” Lapish said.
Lapish initially started working for Bulldawg Food, where he met his business partner Kevin Johnson. Once Johnson and Lapish decided Tuscaloosa was the place to open their new business, Lapish sent out an email to a few of his friends in Tuscaloosa.
“I began searching for a name for my company and emailed a few friends in T-town with my choice,” Lapish said. “They responded with a unanimous yes to Crimson2Go.”
Crimson2Go began delivering last summer with just four employees. Since that time, they have grown to about 20 drivers and a full-office staff.
“We started with one driver, myself, Kevin and his brother Erik,” Lapish said.
Crimson2Go delivers for 20 restaurants, with delivery times ranging from 30-40 minutes during the week and 40-50 minutes on the weekends. However, Lapish said their delivery times are much faster compared to a lot of other services in town, and they are a one-stop shop for all delivery needs.
“We deliver Chinese, Southwest, Mexican, Italian, fast casual (Zoe’s Kitchen), meat and threes and even Coldstone Creamery,” Lapish said.
Lapish said their delivery charge is not much more than the typical delivery service, and with that little extra charge you get much more.
Langley Clements, a sophomore majoring in public relations and restaurant and hospitality management, said it’s nice to be able to get delivery from a variety of different restaurants, but the delivery charge could be a little lower.
“It’s nice to be able to order and have food delivered from places that don’t normally deliver,” Clements said, “but it’s also kind of expensive.”
Anna Locklier, a junior majoring in business administration, said she never heard of the service but loved the idea of it.
“I wouldn’t mind paying a little extra to have my food delivered to my door,” Locklier said. “I order delivery pizza a lot, but I would love to have Moe’s delivered.”
Lapish said business has been booming, and students seem to like the idea. He said Crimson2Go brings “a good bit” of business to the restaurants that work with them, but they are not taking from their in-store business.
Lapish doesn’t see competition from pizza companies and their delivery options, even though some of them are cheaper than Crimson2Go.
“When you want delivery, you only want delivery,” Lapish said. “But not pizza every day!”
Crimson2Go accepts cash, credit card and Crimson2Go gift certificates. They don’t allow orders to be cancelled once they have been placed, and patrons cannot order from multiple restaurants on the same order.
For more information visit their website, www.crimson2go.com, or call (205) 469-9229.
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