Mitchie's Delivery is looking for Kamloops drivers

Business partners Mitchel Hughes (left) and Sean Martin, in front of Thai restaurant Krob Krua on Seymour Street. (via Tereza Verenca)

Mitchie's Delivery is hiring.

The Kamloops-based company says it's looking for five to 10 drivers to keep up with the demand, following the province's order earlier this week that B.C. restaurants close dine-in service and move to a delivery/takeout model to curb the spread of COVID-19. 

"Right now is the time to apply because the province just agreed that restaurants can sell liquor (with deliveries)," co-owner Sean Martin tells KamloopsMatters. "If servers want to pick up shifts, and cooks, who have Serving It Right, we've got work for them."

Martin adds when drivers are not out on a delivery, they're at home waiting for the next order.

"As long as you're within range of getting to a restaurant, you're going to get the order," he says. "Stay home, watch a movie, be on Netflix, play your Xbox, pause it (and go)."

On average, a driver can make around $6, plus tips, on each delivery. 

"People are tipping quite generously right now. They understand that these people are going out on a limb for them," says Martin, noting drivers get to keep 100 per cent of the tips. "If you’re doing really well, and you know the city well, there’s no reason you can’t two or three deliveries an hour."

However, he cautions it's a very uncertain time.

"It could be like today...busy, or people may want to hold on to their money for a little bit. We're not really sure what's going to happen."

Martin and his business partner Mitchel Hughes have moved Mitchie's to contactless delivery. They don't accept cash or credit at the door; everything must be prepaid either through their app or website. 

When the order is on its way, the driver will text the customer and arrange a drop-off point. 

For liquor sales, the customer is asked to text the driver a picture of their ID, and the name on the ID has to match the name on the order. 

Restaurants, meanwhile, are also doing their part. 

"They’re stapling or taping their bags closed, so when the customer gets the food, they know it hasn’t been tampered with," explains Martin. "A lot of them are buying medical-grade sanitizer and they’re using it constantly throughout their restaurants, even with no customers coming through."

Mitchie's employees are also rigorously washing their hands, he says.

Things started picking up for the pair last Friday afternoon, following the government order.

"It was like all of a sudden, restaurants are at a point where their only lifeline is delivery," says Martin.

The pair say they've had a handful of new restaurants sign up, with more to come, while others are "laying low" and taking it day by day.

"Thank you to the community and thank you to the restaurants," says Martin. "They're relying on us to stay stable, and we really appreciate that. They can go with all the national (delivery) chains, and they put all their confidence in us. It's humbling."

To fill out an application to become a driver, click HERE. Drivers must have their own vehicle.