Poppy + Rose: SoCal comfort food is on the move in DTLA

July 18, 2022 | United States

Diana Yin found a winning recipe in her no-frills approach to down-home comfort food. But as local demand turned into a citywide craving, she realized she needed more than a delivery staff of her own – she needed a platform to connect with more delivery people to help get her food where it needed to be.

On the menu

Classic American comfort food

Footprint

One location in LA’s Flower District

Delivery goal

Improving operational efficiency and expanding delivery zone

Helping Poppy + Rose spread its wings

“There’s something to be said about just a good stack of pancakes,” says Diana Yin. “Or a solid burger – it doesn’t have to have truffles.” And so far, her take on what comfort food can be in Southern California is working.

Diana owns Poppy + Rose, a local hotspot in LA’s downtown Flower District. With enough success under her belt, Diana felt she was ready to unlock a new channel of growth for her business. She wanted to get her sweet and savory classics into people’s hands – without the discomfort of having to manage her own delivery staff.

“Uber Eats provided the tools to make my team comfortable using the system as soon as we launched.”

Expanding the comfort zone

Looking back, Diana never thought she’d open or manage a restaurant in the first place. She cut her teeth in PR, representing national food brands and award-winning chefs. Her foodie roots and passion for comfort cuisine eventually led her down the path of entrepreneurship – and crispy fried chicken sandwiches.

Once Diana opened Poppy + Rose, the neighborhood came knocking. She was overwhelmed with customer demand – especially for delivery. This proved tricky for her small business.

Diana recalls, “When we first opened, I was personally running delivery and taking orders over the phone. It was exhausting. We tried a few third-party services, but they were unreliable. So then we hired an in-house driver.”

Simplifying delivery, savoring growth

Managing an in-house delivery staff wasn’t working out. Diana found she was paying her delivery staff more or less to hang out during Poppy + Rose’s slower hours. Then there were quality control issues.

Diana decided to join the Uber Eats platform – precisely so she’d no longer need to worry about managing an internal delivery staff of her own. “It’s been the best solution for us,” she says. “The [delivery people using the Uber Eats platform] are timely....there’s less of a chance for food to get cold or sit for a long time.”

The icing on the cake? (Or in Diana’s case, the syrup on the waffle?) the Uber Eats platform is helping her reach new customers in different neighborhoods – even outside LA’s Flower District. As Diana puts it, “Uber Eats extends our brand awareness to neighborhoods that wouldn’t normally be exposed to us.” Now that’s delicious.

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