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Update: Zippi Delivery withdrew its application to fill this space in Brightwaters.
original story below
A food delivery service is considering operating out of the prominent “four corners” space at 348 North Windsor Ave. in Brightwaters.
Previously occupied by a hardware store, the commercial location has been vacant for nearly seven years and just underwent renovations to modernize the space.
On Nov. 1, the Brightwaters Village Board of Trustees held a public hearing to discuss a potential special use permit for Zippi Delivery.
“The impact of Zippi on the community we think will be very positive,” CEO Tom Gounaris said in his statement. “Restaurant customers will enjoy free delivery [from] their favorite local restaurants, and restaurants will save significantly as well.”
Gounaris is seeking an office and test kitchen space for the computer engineers, graphic designers and highly-trained executive chefs working on the online mobile app.
One of the services Zippi Delivery provides is the ability for customers to place orders, restaurants to receive orders, and drivers to navigate between orders through its mobile app.
What sets them apart from their competitors like UberEats and Doordash is their test kitchen and restaurant consulting, Gounaris said.
They go beyond just food delivery with the enhancements they offer to restauranteurs.
The technology company plans to use the 618-square-foot test kitchen to create menus that can be licensed by restaurants across the country.
Daily videos for Zippi’s YouTube channel will document the new recipes cultivated by the chefs in the test kitchen —right in Brightwaters.
“Restaurant partners receive orders from our app for their brick and mortar, but they can also choose to act as a hosting kitchen for one of our delivery Zippi brands,” Gounaris said in his pitch. “Our chefs will create and test different menu concepts, make the food, and have our drivers deliver the food, just like one of our restaurant partners would.”
The main issues brought up by community members at the meeting were the possibility of increased traffic, parking concerns, and if a food delivery service is the appropriate business to take over the space.
In terms of parking, Gounaris said the company determined that it would have one delivery vehicle parked onsite. Additional drivers summoned by the Zippi app will not park in town.
Others at the meeting expressed their support, stating that time is overdue time to fill the space.
A petition in opposition of Zippi Delivery is circulating and has over 100 signatures.
The Board of Trustees is set to vote on the application at the next village meeting Nov. 15.
To view the full meeting from Nov. 1, click here to watch the Facebook Live broadcast.
Continue to follow greaterbayshore.com for updates on this developing story.
