Converted grocery delivery company flourishing amid coronavirus pandemic
WEST GREENWICH, R.I. (WLNE) — Rhode Islanders who are stuck at home under quarantine or who want to avoid crowded grocery stores, now have a new option for food and grocery delivers.
Roch’s Fresh Foods in West Greenwich is now delivering groceries anywhere in the state.
The family-owned company partnered with the state, who is making their services available through the online portal, RIDelivers.com. Residents can write down their grocery lists and submit them through the website to place an order. Within a couple days, Roch’s will deliver groceries to your doorstep.
“I don’t have enough employees to answer the phones, it’s crazy,’ said Vice President, Zach Roch.
Roch’s Foods normally delivers fresh fruit and produce to restaurants, schools, and nursing homes, but due to coronavirus, those operations have been suspended. They are now focusing their efforts on state-wide grocery delivery.
“Our general manager came up with the idea over night,” said owner, Ray Roch, “and we jumped in with both feet.”
At the start of the pandemic, the company had to lay off a handful of its employees. But since shifting its efforts to grocery delivery, they have been much busier, and have hired back all of those employees plus a few more.
Roch’s is only charging a $10 service fee for using the portal to sign up for deliveries.
Their 100+ employees and 30 trucks run around the clock making sure groceries and essentials are delivered to everyone, contact-free.
“It’s the safest way to get groceries right now,” added Zach Roch.
© WLNE-TV // ABC 6 2020
