Russian Mogul Finds Calling Delivering Food To Rich People
What a story. A wealthy Russian banker is accused of embezzling, is chased by the KGB, denied asylum in the United States, and wrapped up in a legal battle between the two countries that lasts, if our calculations from the article are correct, 12 years, after which the charges are dropped. So what is a now-freed former mogul to do? Start a business, specifically a delivery business catering to wealthy customers.
''I don't have time to go to the kitchen and cook something myself,'' [Alex Konanykhin] said, savoring some lamb Chalahach from a local Russian restaurant on the balcony of his penthouse at the Trump Palace. 'In New York, I just punch speed dial and say `The usual.' I couldn't believe places were not delivering here.''Not a bad idea. And for restaurateurs, it's great, because they don't have to deal with the whole delivery thing -- they just pay Konanykhin, and he gets it done. We don't live up around there, so we didn't really know much about it, but has anyone used the service? Let us know what you think.Konanykhin's new venture is focused on getting condo-dwellers their caviar, sturgeon or coconut shrimp with the click of a computer key. Delivery4tip.com, which began operating in late November, brings food from eight restaurants to homes in Sunny Isles Beach, Aventura and surrounding areas. The delivery cost: 18 percent of the order total, or about the amount of an average tip.
Now Konanykhin is seeking to expand the service from Fort Lauderdale to South Beach. Though he owns only one van, this month he plans to unleash a dozen more plastered with the company's logo to make his business more visible. He also plans to add more photos and detailed nutritional information to his website, www.delivery4tip.com.
With luxury buildings stacked closely together, Sunny Isles Beach has proven to be the perfect testing ground, he said. Like many of the city's residents, he said, ``We prefer to have a nice dinner here during sunset instead of being in a restaurant in a strip mall.''
Current offerings on the site include Italian, Chinese, Argentine and, of course, Russian cuisine. Even though business hasn't been particularly brisk during the first month -- about 20 orders a day on average -- Konanykhin sees multimillion dollar potential. He takes in 30 percent on every order: 18 percent from the customer and 12 percent from the restaurant.
New delivery service targets luxury food market [Miami Herald]
Delivery4Tip [Official Site]
