New Delivery Company Bundles Favorite Foods From Local Bakeries and Restaurants

With concerns over the rise of third-party delivery apps prompting restaurants and consumers to seek more equitable alternatives, a new company that recently arrived in San Diego is aiming to make the home food delivery process a friendlier one all-around. Launched during the pandemic in 2020, Locale got its start in the Bay Area delivering sought-after items from bakeries, restaurants, and specialty food stores such as Manresa Bread and Wise Sons Deli and has since expanded to Los Angeles where it’s delivering bestsellers from acclaimed spots like Porto’s Bakery and Langer’s Deli.

Its model does not require a sign up fee, which enables restaurants and businesses to be able to participate more readily and reach beyond their standard delivery radius: Locale uses its own in-house drivers, whose coverage spans from Oceanside to National City.

The catch is that rather than focus on-demand meal delivery and instant gratification, Locale bundles all your orders into one box, which gets delivered weekly on Fridays for a flat rate of $5. There is no minimum order charge or membership fee, and prices are pretty much comparable to what you’d pay in-store.

Co-founder Jonathan Friedland tells Eater that Locale is working with 120 participating businesses in the Bay Area and says the company would eventually like to ramp up San Diego’s roster to those numbers. Local customers can currently order from area favorites like Assenti’s Pasta, Pop Pie Co., Carlsbad Strawberry Company, Broad Street Dough Co., and Cravory Cookies.