Recently, I sat down with the Founder of brand new, local delivery service SoCo Eats.
If you didn’t know already, this little business is becoming a big deal in Fremont County and soon, the Southern Colorado region. But before all that happens, we should all get to know the people behind SoCo Eats, the service we’ve all been wishing for.
What is SoCo Eats?
Anthony Herrera, the Founder of SoCo Eats, graduated from Florence High School in 2005.
He considered himself a normal student and had aspired to start something in his own name since attending Metro State University in Denver, Colorado. He has over 12 years of experience in the retail management industry but transitioned into starting a business in marketing. But on his journey, he made partnerships with others who helped him get SoCo Eats started.
SoCo Eats is a startup and is going through the same growing pains as any other business. Although they are up against other massive delivery services around the nation but will continue to strive toward helping out the little guy.
Follow their Facebook for info and upcoming promotions.
What Inspired You to Start SoCo Eats?
Being from Fremont County and graduating from Florence, Colorado, Anthony later became a Denver resident. Having lived in the bigger city, Herrera was able to notice the need for a local food delivery service in Fremont county and other small areas of Colorado.
Having a food delivery service during COVID-19 has also brought the business incredible business since its opening since there isn’t a food delivery network or app available to smaller communities.
What Was it Like Getting Started?
“It was definitely a long journey. It started in June 2020, mid-pandemic, and started working with a few of my partners on development, funding, marketing around the idea for SoCo eats,” Herrera says.
SoCo Eats was in development for about five months before launching in November 2020. Even still, the SoCo Eats team is dedicated to further improving the service and the app.
Fremont County is currently at the forefront of its business and development. They look forward to expanding into places outside of the I-25 corridor and look forward to bringing this service to those smaller communities.
How Many People Are On Your SoCo Eats Team?
Currently, there are five main players on their executive teams, as well as five remote customer support reps available to assist when necessary.
They have between 40 – 50 drivers in their delivery service network, and that number continues to expand as the demand increases.
How has Business Been Since Opening in June 2020?
“We started development in June 2020 and launched a Beta version on November 1st, 2020,” Herrera says. “Business has been great. Definitely building it strategically.”
Herrera says they are being mindful of building their business strategically, saying there is a lot to juggle as they work to grow their business responsibly. The business has been increasing week over week since there is high demand for food delivery, but SoCo Eats is dedicated to making sure their service is high-quality and that they are working in harmony with partners, restaurants, and drivers.
What Areas of Colorado Do You Serve Right Now?
Right they are doing live deliveries in Fremont County which consists of:
- Cañon City
- Florence
- Penrose
We are onboarding delivery drivers and acquiring licenses in other counties,” says Herrera. But there are even more demands outside of SoCo Eats’ home in Fremont County. The delivery service is looking into other towns and cities in the state as they continue to grow.
Their next stop is Alamosa, Colorado and then Durango and Gunnison will be next. But they are also hiring drivers in:
- Salida
- Monte Vista
- Trinidad
- Montrose
- Delta
- Lamar
- La Junta
The goal is to work with communities that are well-unserved in the food delivery area. They believe small college towns will be their next area of focus.
In response to the pandemic and vaccination efforts, SoCo Eats has focused heavily on communities with limited dining capacity. Long-term, they want to already have a strong presence in the smaller college towns.
As of right now, SoCo Eats delivers between 9 am and 8 pm daily.
What Are Your Hopes For SoCo Eats?
“Our mission at SoCo Eats is to add value to everyone in the value chain,” Herrera says, “that includes the customer, delivery drivers, and the restaurants. We’re different from the big boys in the industry in that we negotiate partnerships with the local restaurants and do what we can to support them in not taking all of their sales via commissions while providing a sustainable network of delivery drivers.”
They hope to continue to add value to each of the counties they operate in and to continue helping restaurants, bringing the demand to deliver right to their door.
Are There Positive Reviews You Have Received From Customers?
They have countless positive reviews already but recognizes businesses are still prone to negative reviews. Overall, SoCo Eats is doing its best to provide an affordable delivery service while making sure everyone is being provided the deserved compensation in the value chain.
SoCo Eats is not a free delivery service and is a for-profit business. They currently hold a 4.7-star review on Google.
How Can People Become Delivery Drivers?
Hiring is ongoing as SoCo Eats continues to grow. The process is incredibly simple and currently requires the following:
- Authorize a background check (you MUST have a social security number for your background check to run correctly).
- Review the SoCO Eats Delivery Driver Agreement
- Upload your profile photo
- Add your referral code (if you have one)
- Set up your direct deposit payout information
To sign up to be a delivery driver, visit their page here.
How Can Easy is it for Businesses to Sign Up?
The process for partnership with SoCo Eats, claiming your business is incredibly easy.
To start partnering with SoCo Eats, visit their website to Claim Your Business Page.
What Are Your Goals for SoCo Eats, long-term?
“To operate in 10 or more counties in Southern Colorado and continuing growth,” says Herrera.
They are looking to expand their services into on-demand booking as well as a rideshare option that they anticipate being a hit in those smaller communities. However, expanding their current user base remains the central focus.
It’s important to have a good name for themselves and a reputation for amazing partnerships that add value to those small businesses in small towns.
What do you love most about what you’re doing?
“What I love the most about being the Founder of SoCo Eats is just seeing the progress,” says Herrera, “six months ago I was in Fremont County trying to order food to find out all I could have was pizza.”
From there, Herrea developed a desire to start SoCo Eats and was committed to kick-starting the delivery service.
“Every time I see an order come through on my phone, it’s just exciting to know that this could not have happened six months ago,” says, Herrera.
Any success stories or other things you would like to share?
“Overall, the business itself is a success story,” says Herrera.
The most important part is this service, which is mostly exclusive to larger cities is something now available to small local communities and has high hopes for expanding throughout the state.
What’s important is that the money people spend is making its way to local restaurants and staying in the county. Herrera takes pride in knowing this business is doing its part to serve local businesses and support them during times as stressful and trying as these.
Download the App
If you are in Fremont County, you can download the app for Android or iPhone here.
For those anticipating SoCo Eats’ arrival in your community, hang tight. They are on their way!
