Former chef brings speedy food delivery service to San Luis Obispo County 

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Cosimo Allegretta has 25 years of experience in the kitchen. You could say that he knows the ins and outs of the food industry as he's even managed bars in area.

But he was looking for something more, and he was ready to get out of the fast-paced lifestyle that comes with creating a menu or holding down a good team of cooks, bartenders, waiters, and everyone else who plays a large role in the dining experience.

That new venture came in the form of becoming a market owner of FoodJets and launching the service locally on May 1.

It's similar to Uber Eats, DoorDash, or Postmates in the sense that they're all food delivery services. What separates FoodJets from the rest is its focus on delivering food from local restaurants to your home or office.

You can do that by placing an order online, over the phone, or through FoodJets' smartphone app, which has a list of restaurants to choose from that have partnered with FoodJets. The phone app has a live order tracking system, so you know exactly where your food is and when it will arrive.

"I brought the technology here with a touch of SLO style," Allegretta said.

The Sacramento-based company has extensions of its services in California, Michigan, Nevada, Utah, and Virginia. In San Luis Obispo County, Allegretta said the local food delivery service was called MealClub and the same owner ran MenuClub (printed pocket menus of local restaurants), but that owner wanted to focus on printing. So he passed on his accounts of restaurants that participated in MealClub to Allegretta and FoodJets.

Currently, Allegretta delivers food in Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, and Five Cities with 12 drivers. He said for now he's happy with servicing those areas, but with time, he wants to expand all over the county to include Morro Bay, Templeton, and Atascadero.

In the city of SLO, FoodJets users can choose deliveries from Mo's Smokehouse, Pizza Solo, Bliss Café, Seeds, Jaffa Café, Old San Luis BBQ Co., and many more.

Allegretta said he could get behind a large food delivery company like this because of its focus on relationships with restaurants. With that in mind, Allegretta said he's able to get to know more restaurant owners and continue expanding in the local community that he already has established relationships with.

"I like to talk and interact with people. I'm a very open person, and I like getting to know people," he said.

Fast fact

• The 2019 Summer Reading Program will celebrate the 100th anniversary at the County of San Luis Obispo Public Libraries. There will be both a youth and adult summer reading challenge, as well as free programs for all ages. The youth reading program runs from June 1 to July 27. Children and teens can participate by reading for five days (20 minutes a day) or reading five books to earn a "library 100th anniversary" bag full of goodies. Five additional books earn kids a free book to keep, provided by the Foundation for SLO Public Libraries. Adults can join in as part of the Summer Adventures with the Short & Sweet program. Adults who read 10 100-page books between June 1 and July 31 will be entered into a drawing. Grand prizes include a bi-plane ride with Banner Airways in Pismo Beach, a zip-line tour with Margarita Adventures in Santa Margarita, and a gift basket with local staycation options. There will also be free entertainment, workshops, and special events for all ages—a large part of every summer reading program. To find a complete schedule and to learn more about the reading challenges, visit slolibrary.org. Δ

Staff Writer Karen Garcia wrote this week's Strokes and Plugs. Send tidbits to [email protected].

Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that Poke Bar is a restaurant that FoodJets users can choose from. The restaurant is no longer in business.