Dave Umina
Meet Dave Umina, founder of Delivermefood.com, a food delivery service.
What does your company do?
Delivermefood.com is an online ordering site and delivery service that launched in 1996. People can order form their favorite local restaurants and have it delivered to their home, office, dorm, hospital room, etc. We have over 100 of northeastern Ohio's best restaurants participating and service over 100 cities and neighborhoods in five counties.
Why did you start your business?
I was in my last year of college and working. I was feeling the entrepreneurial drive that was in my being since a very young age. I also was learning how business works and feeling a great sense of confidence and independence. I also was falling in love with my soon to be wife of 15 years. I wanted to start a business with her and we would be able to be with each other every day and enjoy the tribulations and successes of marriage and owning a company. She shared the same dreams and within six months of dreaming this we were entrepreneurs and newlyweds.
How did you come up with the idea?
I was living in Cleveland Heights at the time and was enjoying some of the best restaurants in this town when I had the time or the energy to go out. At the opposite time, I was very disappointed at the choices I had to choose from when I needed delivery. I was in my last year at John Carroll University and was working at several different restaurants. I waited tables all through college. I knew the restaurant business very well. I also was majoring in marketing and knew that very well. All I needed was to learn logistics and I could make an impact on the restaurant business in Cleveland. In May of 1996 we launched!
What was the biggest surprise in starting your business?
The lack of capital. Cleveland, or the nation for that matter, invests in the entrepreneur. I started my company with the rent check due. I continued to live flat broke for seven years with reinvesting all of our profits back into the business. It was very difficult and slowed growth.
What are some of the advantages to doing business in Cleveland?
Cleveland has the best restaurants in the Midwest. Our cultures give a vast variety of cuisines to choose from and our choice of cuisine is top-notch authentic! Great restaurants equal great demand.
What inspires you?
My employees, their families and my family. Family means everything to me. After almost 16 years doing this, I find myself inspired by all the people in my life that depend on me. Last time I counted it was 30 and that doesn't count their families or mine. It's even more now.