GROOVE is the San Francisco Driver rest area and meeting place. Last night’s event: Groove & Luxe Present Driver Sunday Dinner Powered by Zesty
ZESTY is (I hope I got this correctly) a Caterer and More, that provides meals and event management services. Allow me to steal a bit from their web site, it gives a much better explanation than I can:
Zesty launched an app late last year that provides its customers with healthy food options from nearby restaurants. With a combination of technology and data, as well as the help of an on-staff nutritionist, it was able to create a curated menu of dishes from dozens of restaurants around San Francisco.
By working with the restaurants, it was able to identify healthier choices on their menus and to ensure that dishes were prepared without unnecessary stuff like MSG, salt, or sugar added. That’s been great for customers who wanted to ensure that when they did order out, they’d get something that wouldn’t be horrible for them.
But the Zesty team saw that they could make a bigger impact — and more money — by taking the work that it had already done and applying it to the office catering environment. So it’s launched a new service catering (literally) to corporate customers.
Corporate customers who sign up will get an initial consultation with Zesty’s nutritionist, who will take into account the number of employees, budget per employee, and dietary restrictions. Then, using its database of menu items, will come up with a food plan for the company.
For delivery, rather than relying on its restaurant partners, the company has actually hired a team of “catering captains” to ensure that food and presentation is up to snuff. And it takes feedback on meals via an online form to improve over time.
The key to Zesty’s program is flexibility. According to CEO David Langer, the company will work within pretty much any budget to find a plan that works for each office.
The Zesty Worker I spoke to this last evening was very knowledgeable of the Ride-Hail services, as she is also a Ride-Hail Driver for Lyft and others. She is quite an impressive young lady. I enjoyed talking with her.
GROOVE is actually a very cool set up. GROOVE is a Driver break area where drivers can take a break, grab a meal, grab a late night coffee, find an available rest-room, and meet with other drivers. Events & Meetings are offered to drivers that are of interest to the drivers and it is open to drivers with or without paid membership. It sits in an area one might consider a park, or car park with a secure fenced perimeter with a main building constructed by wood framing with canvas walls, kind of like a big tent. I probably fail at giving adequate description because it is far better than I make it sound. The surrounding area inside the fence has a handful of “Roach Coaches” offering a number of foods accompanied by beverage and coffee services. From what I understand these “Roach Coaches” rotate periodically providing a variety of food options for the attending drivers, Coffee and rest-rooms are available 24/7 to accommodate drivers driving schedules. (As any driver can testify, some of these Roach Coaches make better food than some of the local restaurants, and provide even a better menu. The term “Roach Coach” is meant in a complimentary manner with no suggestion of insult.)
In addition to the food services, the main building and the surrounding exterior have numerous tables to accommodate a large quantity of drivers, and although I am not sure of this it appears as though it also is set up to accommodate vendors booths providing guest vendors or services a way to interact with drivers in a relaxed atmosphere. (I am not sure that this is the intent, and I forgot to ask. Regardless the setting is perfect for such use.) GROOVE is operated by Emmanuel “Manny” Bamfo who is a sharp young man intent on building an impressive community area for Drivers serving the San Francisco Bay Area.
During my visit this evening, I spoke with numerous drivers and learned one thing for sure. I learned that Manny has the right idea for creation of a driver community area and I am confident his idea will provide the drivers an exceptional place to relax, learn, meet, and grow for the future. If you have not yet checked out GROOVE, you should. It is at 428 11TH Street in San Francisco. Seriously, go check it out. You do not have to worry about parking as there is plenty of free parking available in the immediate area.
Oh! Almost forgot! The food tonight provided by Zesty was excellent. I do not even know what it was I ate, but the meat was tender and delicious.
US Ride-Hail Driver's Association 