University Heights Pizza Delivery By Bike
On a ride through University Heights a few weeks ago, I noticed what looked like two delivery bikes parked outside a small pizza restaurant on Park Boulevard right under the neighborhood sign. I made a mental note to investigate further, and when I finally emailed the owner of Pizza Gourmet Express to ask for an interview, I was pleased to find James Tuckwell to be extremely congenial and willing to submit to my battery of poorly-conceived questions.
Open for almost a year now, Pizza Gourmet Express inaugurated its free bicycle delivery program in May of this year. Two delivery riders handle about ten percent of the restaurant’s business on single-speed cruiser-style bikes, outfitted with oversize delivery baskets mounted on front. The free bicycle delivery zone is limited to University Heights, but the restaurant also offers auto-driven delivery outside of this zone through Expressly Gourmet.
When I asked James about his decision to offer neighborhood bicycle delivery, I was pleased to learn that neither he nor his riders consider themselves “bike people,” per se, but that bicycles were the most cost-effective, convenient, and efficient way to deliver within the neighborhood. They are also a unique and attention-grabbing feature of the business. “After all,” said James during our interview, “I wouldn’t be talking to you now if it weren’t for the bikes.” He was right, of course.
One of Pizza Gourmet Express’s goals is to be University Heights’s neighborhood pizza place, and this means building on the already-strong bonds of community in the area. A fleet of cars emblazoned with the Pizza Gourmet Express logo didn’t seem like the right way to go in this compact and historic neighborhood, where parking is at a premium and many residents choose to travel by foot or bicycle.
To mesh with this atmosphere, James chose bicycles as both a low-impact and high-visibility means of delivery. James’s friendly and law-abiding riders are easily identifiable on their red and white delivery cruisers, and they present a visible reminder of Pizza Gourmet Express’s commitment to the community and its character every time they go out.
My wife and I visited Pizza Gourmet Express this past weekend, since any good reporter has to know what he’s writing about, right? The atmosphere is cozy, comfortable, and friendly, and the pizza is quite good. The menu is simple: one side has more traditional fare, the other side has fancier concoctions, but nothing outlandish or terribly expensive. We chose the pesto pizza with chicken on a thin crust, which was tremendous. I went with the on-tap root beer, while my wife had a bottle of mango soda. The panna cotta for dessert was, uh, I don’t really have words, actually. It was darn good, anyway, and made locally.
After dinner, we took a walk around the neighborhood, and wouldn’t you know, we saw one of James’s delivery riders coming back from a delivery. It was one of those moments, which are becoming more common in San Diego, when you begin to appreciate what a truly bike-friendly city could be like.
Pizza Gourmet Express is located on Park Boulevard in the heart of University Heights, right by the sign. They are open for lunch and dinner, and the free neighborhood bicycle delivery runs from 5pm to 9pm daily.
Special deal for Bike San Diego readers who made it all the way to the end of this article: mention Bike San Diego when you place your order at Pizza Gourmet Express through November 2009, and receive 20% off your pizza order.