This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
Beginning as a way to make some money in college, Mike Rolland started a food delivery service on the University of Indiana campus in 2005.
Their primary business was to bring food to hungry college students and the surrounding area.
Mike's middle brother moved to Colorado around 2007 and grew the business around the Colorado University-Boulder campus. The family has since expanded the business to other college campuses including Northern Arizona University and Logan, Utah and Las Cruces, New Mexico.
The LoDel business prides itself bringing local food delivery to "tight-knit communities."
Today, they are expanding their business even further, into Longmont.
Jeff Roland, the youngest brother, co-founder and manager, said that moving into Longmont is a new venture for LoDel. This is the first time the business is being built around a community and not a college campus.
"That is how we grew our markets in the past, is by focusing on college campuses, marketing to the college students...and now we are more focused on individual businesses," states Jeff Rolland.
LoDel not only delivers food to the community but it wants to be a community partner. They do this by working with businesses to promote the business itself. Additionally, they have been able to provide special offers that can only be found through their website.
Being a local business, based out of Gunbarrel, the LoDel family seeks out community events to contribute. "We are looking to help and work with the community," says Jeff. Recently, LoDel delivered food to a Longmont Police Department housing event at a local apartment complex. "We want to work with organizations and community leaders on these types of events to not only expand awareness of our delivery service but to help them expand awareness for these local initiatives."
As Longmont continues to grow, LoDel hopes to be able to offer more options to customers who prefer to stay in.
