FOOD

& Drink

Scottsdale.org l

@ScottsdaleProgress /ScottsdaleProgress

Scooter helps Scottsdale eatery deliver

BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

For nearly 40 years, Randy’s Restaurant in southern Scottsdale has served longtime diners from its strip-mall spot just off Chaparral Road and 79th Street.

Even with a now-closed dining room, Randy’s continues to deliver hot, fresh, affordable meals – via a recently gifted all-electric scooter.

Tempe-based electric scooter company Phat Scooters donated a dozen of their newly launched PHLEET Delivery scooters – approximately $30,000 in value – to various local restaurants, many of which cannot afford to use third-party delivery services like UberEats and Postmates.

Restaurants include Upward Concepts restaurants such as Postino’s, Majerle’s Sports Grill, CRUJiente Tacos, the Vig Arcadia, O.H.S.O. Eatery & nano-Brewery, Chestnut Fine Foods & Provisions and Randy’s.

“I was shocked and blown away,” Angela Cole, owner of Randy’s Restaurant. “The generosity of everybody in our community has been very overwhelming.”

Cole heard about Phat Scooters’ offer from the owner of Chestnut Fine Foods & Provisions, Kirsten Steele.

“We had existing relationships with both companies, and they reached out to us for help when suddenly they had to move their business to take-out and delivery only,” said Peter Johnson, CEO and co-founder of Phat Scooters.

When Cole received the scooter, she immediately put it to good use, delivering hot meals to senior residents living in the neighborhood behind the restaurant. Those residents frequented Randy’s for virtually every meal but are now too wary to pick up to-go orders in person.

Randy’s Restaurant was one of several local restaurants that received an all-electric scooter from Tempe-based Phat Scooters. (Courtesy of Randy’s Restaurant)

“When we got the scooter, we also had a customer – she owns Victoria Canada Weddings & Events – [bring] us money and [say], ‘I want to give you this, and if there’s somebody in the neighborhood who can’t get out, doesn’t have family, will you be sure to purchase their meals for them and make sure they get them?’” Cole said.

Cole used the $200 donation to deliver 15 to 20 meals.

“Some of them are terri�ied to go out even to the grocery store, and some of our customers eat in the restaurant, breakfast, lunch, and dinner and don’t even have pots and pans. So, with her money, all of our deliveries to that neighborhood for the �irst week,” Cole said.

Randy’s also used the scooter to help boost morale in the neighborhood.

They scooted through Chaparral Park, passing out goodie bags stapled with the menu and �illed with rice crispy treats. “People were excited. We also had hand sanitizer on the scooters,” Cole said.

Cole said Randy’s has not and will not tack on an additional delivery fee to their orders.

“We have found that there are a lot of seniors that this has made a big difference for them, regardless if this was going on or not. We are going to continue it [deliveries] afterwards to those who really do need it,” she said.

Phat Scooters was originally going to launch their new PHLEET Delivery bikes later this year, Johnson said they moved up the launch date to help businesses in need during the pandemic.

“Giving back has always been a core value of our company, but at times like this, it’s even more important to come together and support one another any way we can,” he said.

According to Johnson, keeping delivery in-house helps businesses “increase pro�itability on every order and keep more people employed.”

“Now is an ideal time for restaurants to start developing their in-house delivery programs since it’s one of their only options to stay open and serve their neighborhoods at this time,” he said.

Randy’s, like the rest of Scottsdale restaurants, was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

Cole said they are serving about 10 percent of what they normally would during this time of the year.

“Like so many other businesses in Scottsdale and Arizona, March and April are what carry us through the summers. So, it has been a big hit,” she said.

“We’re family-owned. My parents are involved, [and] my daughter and I. It’s scary. We’re just every day waking up, doing our best, and praying that it’s going to be over soon,” she added.

For the �irst time in Randy’s decadeslong history, the restaurant will be open for Easter Sunday. This year, they’ve added a family-style ham dinner special, including scalloped potatoes and a soup or salad, for $35.

“We’ve decided to stay open due to the need that there’s a lot of people in the neighborhood that are now relying on us for their hot meals,” Cole said. “So, we pulled together our staff and said, ‘If you don’t want to be here, you don’t have to be here.’ But everybody voted to be there. They want to be there and be able to provide for the neighborhood.”

Cole said that, in addition to ordering takeout and delivery, Randy’s has gift certi�icates and merchandise, like Tshirts, available for purchase.

They also plan to host a grand reopening celebration when “things get back together” as a way to “do something fun for the community.”

Information: phatscooters.com and randysrestaurantaz.com.