Drive More For Less Overnight!
Modo’s overnight rate was created with all members in mind, but are thrilled to see so many local business members taking advantage of it! TJ, chef and owner of Ono Vancouver, tells us how this special rate has helped his business make deliveries and support the community.
The news that Modo’s overnight perk has been made permanent (all bookings that take place between 6 pm – 9 am are capped at the cost of just 3 hours) has been really valuable for me and my company’s efforts to keep producing and delivering food to local charities and moving surplus food.
We store food in many different locations in Vancouver, including charities and supporters such as the Marriott Pinnacle Hotel downtown who generously let us use their freezer space to store one pallet (close to one metric ton!) of frozen vegetables that we can pick up when needed to cook in our kitchen at Coho Commissary. We’ve been able to produce 1,500 meals a week for charities in the Downtown East Side, and having the flexibility of driving Modo vans and large loadable cars during nights has helped a lot!
With this rate, I can avoid rush hour traffic and enjoy the bonus perk of having a capped cost of 3 hours no matter how long it takes us to move tons (literally tons!) of food during nights. Ono Vancouver doesn’t get any government funding as a social enterprise company and only relies on my own retail and food business ventures to cover transportation costs. Flexibility, affordability and convenience are therefore essential for me!
Another feature I highly appreciate with Modo is the parking! I remember transporting some surplus food on Father’s Day and driving right after to celebrate with my family at the beach. Parking lots were full as expected, but with Modo parking rights, we were able to use permit parking close by!
About Ono Vancouver
Ono Vancouver is a kitchen consulting company that helps small to medium-sized businesses and non-profits set up their food programs navigate the food and beverage industries. During the start of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, together with a handful of chefs who were laid-off due to restrictions and restaurant closures, I started cooking meals to help vulnerable people in the DTES and other parts of Vancouver using surplus food donations that would otherwise end up in the landfill. To date, we have contributed 300,000 meals to fight food insecurity in Vancouver and have diverted up to 8 tonnes of surplus food to help curb food waste.
