Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Daley.
Hi Christine, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
About four years ago, a friend was pregnant with her second child and nauseous around food. I stocked her fridge with fully-prepared, healthy food to reheat and eat. That was the birth of Daley Delivery. We deliver throughout all of Los Angeles and now have a branch in Park City, UT, Fairfield County, CT and plan on opening a few more at the start of 2021. Each location has an incredible chef who fully-prepares your food to be delivered to your door. We thoughtfully design the menus every week, taking into account different dietary restrictions (vegan, vegetarian, etc.) and what is available seasonally. At Daley Delivery, we don’t count calories and are not based around a fad diet. We believe in preparing things we’d like to eat and reduce the amount of waste by creating recipes that use ingredients in multiple dishes all delivered in compostable containers. I love food. I love the experience of a shared meal around the table and I’m beyond grateful that I get to share my recipes with my clients.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
NO! I was a one-woman show for the first year and half. I was not running an efficient business AT ALL. For instance, I was allowing all the clients to order everything they wanted which meant hours upon hours of cooking. There was a moment when I finally asked for help and realized through the lens of an outsider, I needed to better streamline the business. It was a game-changer on a host of fronts. I still do all of the behind the scenes by myself (website, finances, recipes, marketing, etc.) and I still am the chef and deliver in LA, but I tweaked the business in a way that made my clients and my chefs happier humans!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I think I’m most proud of the fact that we’ve grown at a rate that is manageable and have been able to maintain the integrity of a small business which I believe is meaningful and honestly, essential to our clients. And now during Covid, it’s been such an honor to cook for people and to be in business still. With the support of my clients, we were able to provide over 50 nurses meals for the week. So I’m proud of the fact that clients know us, they know we’re not a machine and that we care about our communities.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My mom taught me to cook. She was my biggest support. Three years ago, she was diagnosed with a type of cancer that sadly had horrible odds. I went home to be with her and was able to hand off responsibilities of the business here in LA to a friend and fellow chef who has been such a support as well. With her help, the business remained up and running while I was with my mom. When my mom passed, I decided to honor her by opening a branch in my hometown, Fairfield, CT. Seeing the success in the area has been such a gift. It reminded me that we are doing something right at Daley Delivery. So in short (after a long story) my friends and family have been there from the beginning supporting, mentoring, guiding and letting me bounce every horrible, weird, brilliant and crazy idea that pops into my head.
Pricing:
- $125 for one adult and $200 for two for 3-4 nights of food
- $250 + cost of groceries for personalized, specific “off-the-menu” menu
- $150 an hour private chef gig
- $200 for cooking class (kids too!)
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.daleydelivery.com
- Instagram: daley_delivery
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daleydelivery
