With our recent move to Over the Rhine and the Gateway Quarter our lives have been full of adjustments. Getting unpacked and settled is a lot of work and it will take time. Other adjustments, like where you're eating for dinner are more immediate needs.
The usual fallback is pizza and you'd think living in the middle of downtown that would be an easy thing to handle with a rather large number of pizza joins operating a mere handful of blocks from here.
Not so much.
The day we moved in ordered pizza from Larosa's with little issue. We had no internet access so we just phoned it in and they didn't give us too much trouble. The driver arrived and began to tell us some wild story about drivers not being allowed to leave their car in certain areas because of some previous incidents like hold ups and carjackings. OK, good to know. I think.
The second time we ordered we decided to try online and failed miserably at updating our address on the Larosa's website (which is awful to begin with). It refused to accept our address, so again, we phoned it in and they said if we just placed a phone order it would allow us to add it online and gave us some speech about re-drawing store districts, etc, etc.
Same delivery guy and same deal about not getting out of his car.
OK, so at this point I'm thinking Larosa's is just a pain in the ass. Crappy site, stupid computer system and strange or just lazy drivers. After our second phone order I tried again to update our address and I am still currently dealing with them on figuring out why we can phone in an order but can't do it online (also, our neighbor can do this fine, go figure). UPDATE: we can finally add our address to their website after emailing their customer service people.
Given the headache with Larosa's online I decide I'll try Papa Johns - I go online, update my address, no problems, I place my order, pay online, order goes through, success. Right? Wrong. 10 minutes later my phone rings and it's someone at the store - tells me they don't deliver to my street. Huh?
In the two weeks or so since we've moved in we've basically learned that pizza places are either 1) full of drivers who are terrified to deliver here or 2) flat out WILL NOT deliver here. Now, I realize Over the Rhine has a fairly bad rep with a lot of Cincinnatians - mainly from people who haven't been here in 20 years; but this redlining crap from businesses is flat out ridiculous. I can somewhat understand not delivering to known bad spots, but to deny service to the Gateway Quarter, which is full of brand new condos and full of residents is a real stupid business move.
So here's a tip to downtown businesses who refuse to deliver to downtown residents - tread lightly because from here on out I'm not ordering from you. Instead I'll be supporting the businesses who WANT to be here, like Cafe de Wheels who park mere meters from an address you refuse to come anywhere near. If you're going to redline an entire section of town, at least do it based on current information, because your policies right now (I'm looking at you Papa Johns) are 5 years out of date.
Farewell and Thanks for All the ChocoPots:
1 year ago
19 comments:
I ordered online from Papa John's and the delivery person refused to come into the building but met me at the front door. When she did, she said, "You must have ordered online. Normally we won't deliver here." I don't order a lot of pizza so that was my only experience.
LOL. I understand your frustration! That happened all the time when we lived on Hughes St. -- no food deliveries, intermittent mail service, no car service. It's hard for me to even see the justification of a "known bad spot," which my block probably was to some eyes. We were just living our quiet lives there along with other people, trying to spend money and get services like everyone else.
yeah, poor choice of words on 'known bad spot' - more along the lines of 'hey, a driver was carjacked here'. i could see that being a justification, but beyond that i think it's all ridiculous.
i did write papa johns a rather scathing letter about their policy. i got a response that they'd send it to the store in question and i've never heard back.
I was really proud when Daniel told me (as he mentioned here) that he decided to just eat at @burgerbgood, since they were willing to actually serve the community.
Frustrating is exactly the word. I know pizza delivery is just a convenience thing, but it's definitely one I've come to expect and depend on!
What's funny is when I order, they bring me pizza. Always have-- but there are a couple of drivers who have no idea how to operate the callbox. I've had them actually use the callbox and come in like we were at a normal address. It's weird.
(And note: Dan and Erica are my upstairs neighbors.)
(Oh: that would be LaRosa's. Papa John's never delivered to Clay street, so they lost my business about three years ago. Donato's wouldn't deliver to Clay either, ditto on losing my business.)
A far more serious problem is what passes for pizza here. La Rosa's is catsup on crackers, so you're better off without. Dominos is swill. Your best bet is to get one of those insulated Sam's or Costco bags, pick up your pizza, and walk it home. Another tactic would be to campaign for a makeover at the politically correct but inedible Venice in the Gateway Quarter.
We have same issue in West End, and we're actually closer to some of these CBD pizza places even! Factor in no food trucks over here, and it is a good thing I can cook. Although, it would be nice to not always have to!
I have to second Radarman's comment. I was going to mention Venice on Vine as a neighborly pizza option, but I can't lie about the quality. I have heard good things about their sandwiches, though.
Interesting, I'm not sure when it happened but the Papa John's delivery people no longer get out of the car when we order. They call me a couple blocks away and throw it out the window at me, they don't even need a signature on the receipt any more. I bet this has more to do with increasing production than the safty of the neighborhood.
I've noticed over the years that in condos/apartments drivers won't actually come up to your unit anymore. They use to always, but now they call and you have to go meet them at your front door, or in OTR you have to meet them at their car.
I can empathize with you frustrations; however, I don’t blame pizza/food delivery businesses for not wanting to deliver to OTR one bit. I get that you live in “the Gateway Quarter” but just think of all the protests or calls city council would get if JUST Gateway Quarter got service, seriously, I am sure the NAACP would be called too. Those few blocks are nice but come on, let’s be realistic, it is still OTR one of the most dangerous areas in the city and some people believe in the county. Just because there are some YP’s in the area doesn’t make it safe or any less intimidating to those not familiar/familiar with the area. I know, I know you are probably thinking I am one of those people living in the ‘burbs and I have no idea what I am talking about….we¬¬¬¬¬ll¬¬¬ I work in the most dangerous areas of Cincinnati, I go to those areas and into homes without protection or knowing sometimes what is on the other side of the door, I go to the areas where you didn’t even know existed. I have lived in the inner city before, but not in Cincinnati…..I wish Cincinnati was different, more progressive and not so racially divided. I am amused by bleeding hearts and overly emotional “make love not war” types of people who think the Streetcar and The Banks will revitalize Cincinnati. Like I said before, I wish Cincinnati was different. Maybe if more people besides the affluent could afford to live in the “Gateway Quarter” things would be different, but then again most thriving cities have more than just one downtown community, not just a few blocks.
I am really not trying to be pessimistic about the city, but I think Cincinnati is so backwards when it comes to projects downtown that until a major overhaul or change in perspective nothing is really ever going to change.
so, besides the banks, the new riverfront park, the development in OTR, the new Washington Park and the street car - what would fit a 'major overhaul' and 'change in perspective' in this town? none of this would have happened had there not been a major shift in attitudes downtown. when i lived down on 4th street years ago i would have never believed any of it would be happening right now.
you may say you're not being pessimistic about this city, but everything in your comment suggests you're just that and if we want to be honest about it - it's comments and perspectives like this that hold this city back - perspectives that may or may not be accurate with things that are actually happening on the ground in this town.
i've been just as guilty about bashing cincinnati in the past - but at some point we all have to wake up and realize that it's counter-productive and it's those very words that created the current state of things, and its the slow shift in attitudes among some that have gotten the ball rolling. is it perfect? certainly not, but it's a start and i'd say more has happened in the last 3 years than has happened in the previous 30.
in the end all the development and projects and money thrown at the city won't change a thing if attitudes and perceptions don't change - if you wish cincinnati was different, then be the change
When I lived in Walnut Hills (1 block from DeSales Corner) the ONLY business that would deliver was LaRosas.
Now in East Price Hill, it's the same thing. Say what you will about LaRosas, they support their hometown.
Had no problems with this when I lived in the bad parts of Columbus.
Redlining is old, unnecessary, and frankly makes bad PR and business sense. Take your $ to businesses that support the ALL citizens and districts. There are plenty of small, locally run pizza places that do not redline. LaRosas and Queen City are two that come to mind.
classicgrrl
totally agree - support the businesses that support our neighborhoods.
i have yet to receive any sort of response from papa johns on the issue, doubt i ever will.
we've since had no issues with LaRosas, I think the problem was mainly a technical issue on their website
Do you really believe that these places don't want your business or something? If they could find a way to safely deliver to you and earn your money they would. They decide to stop delivery in areas where actual incidents took place with their drivers, not just because they don't like you or because they have a "perception". Wake up! Delivery drivers are big targets and they risk their safety in every neighborhood for very little money. These businesses are just trying to protect their workers and keep them safe and if it means you have to get in your car to go get a pizza then BOO HOO for you!
if you are a delivery based service and will not deliver to someone, i think its pretty clear you don't want their business. the fact that some do, and some don't is a pretty clear indicator that they could if they wanted.
It is simply an indicator that some are willing to risk their employees' safety and some are not. Of course every business could deliver everywhere if they decided to, but if the risk/reward is not there for whatever reason, a business owner is going to limit their delivery area. Having food delivered to your door is not a right. If you choose to not support a restaurant because they have bad food, then fine. But don't do it because of some misguided idea that you're only going to "support the businesses that support your neighborhood". That's just childish, naive and pouty.
I doubt a company would not deliver somewhere based only on reputation. Probably, their drivers have had bad experiences of some kind. If their drivers aren't safe, or they have lost money, businesses are going to change their policies to keep that from happening.
It's got to be frustrating, but I'm sure it's a business decision and not personal. They probably decided that losing some business is worth it to them.
I think it just comes with the territory. "Up-and-coming" usually means it has somewhere to come up from, and it's going to take time for things to change and for everyone to notice.
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