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This episode of The Digital Restaurant features Tony Illes, founder of Tony Delivers, a new food delivery service disrupting the Seattle market. The conversation delves into the impact of Seattle’s “Pay Up” legislation, which has reshaped the food delivery landscape, reducing delivery volumes for platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats. Tony shares his journey from a side hustle as a delivery driver to creating a business aimed at empowering drivers and improving customer experiences.

Key Discussion Points:

 • Origins of Tony Delivers: Tony describes his entrepreneurial journey, inspired by dissatisfaction with existing platforms and conversations with friends. He highlights the importance of empowering drivers to run independent businesses.

 • Impact of Pay Up Legislation: The ordinance significantly reduced delivery volumes, driving up prices and prompting customers to shift to pickup.

 • Empowerment Model: Tony Delivers aims to give drivers autonomy, allowing them to innovate and deliver via any means they choose. It contrasts with traditional platforms that control economic terms.

 • Challenges and Growth: Tony outlines his app development, challenges in competing with established marketplaces, and his vision to disrupt the delivery model by cutting overhead and focusing on fairness.

 • Future Goals: Tony aspires to redefine the delivery ecosystem, integrating logistics beyond food delivery, and fostering trust among customers, drivers, and restaurants.

The episode highlights Tony’s unique approach to the delivery space, emphasizing autonomy and fairness over profit maximization, and positions him as a rising innovator in a highly competitive industry.

Support Tony through his GoFund me page here: https://gofund.me/74e92b46

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