DELIVERY DEBACLE: Cold pizza prompts calls for increased food delivery services in Douglas Shire

FOOD DELIVERY

David Gardiner

Journalist

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Douglas has a surprising lack of hot food delivery services, even during peak tourism season. Picture: Submitted

The lack of hot food delivery options in Port Douglas has been highlighted after a visitor experienced having to settle for cold pizza by the time she got it back to her hotel room.

Leah Hudson posted on social media that she had the “worst experience” recently after ordering online from Domino’s.

“I ordered at 6 to be delivered at 7,” she posted. “They rang me at 6.45 saying it will take 1 and1/2 hours to deliver. Ok. We are on holidays. No worries. So got a phone call at 8.30 saying the delivery driver said it’s too dark to drive in the resort to find us and could I come and get it.”

But after the call, more disappointment ensued.

“It wasn’t that dark and everything (was) clearly marked. I had also given a tip when I ordered. Anyway, had to walk to get food and the driver had already left. By the time I got back to my room, the pizza was cold and very small.”

All Ms Hudson wanted that night, she said, was a cheaper option than having to eat out again at the resort where she was staying.

“We had one meal at the restaurant where we are staying and at $210 for two we will only be doing that once. So yes, there needs to be a delivery service in Port. Most nights we drove in (and) had a meal in town but just once we would have liked to have a meal in our room without the great expense.”

Another Facebook user responded to her post: “PD is a country town. For two thirds of the year one can fire a gun down the main street without hitting anyone. You are in paradise. There are bound to be first world problems.”

To which Ms Hudson, from Mildura in Victoria, responded: “I come from a country town that does have a delivery service.”

The experience has highlighted a surprising lack of hot food delivery options in Douglas, especially given the region’s tourism focus and the fact that at this time of year, visitor numbers are peaking.

After scouring apps and popular national food delivery services like Menulog and Uber Eats, we found less than a handful of food outlets which advertise that they deliver, on their own social media or websites:

Sabi’s Kitchen Indian Restaurant, Port Douglas (Facebook)

Star of Siam, Port Douglas (Website - Min $55)

Domino’s Pizza, Port Douglas (Facebook)

If there are other restaurants and food outlets in Douglas which also deliver that you might know about (and we haven’t heard about), please let us know.

“I just don’t want to have to pay $200 to eat if we happen to have a drink. Which we did once. Every other time we drove in and had a meal. I think it makes a lot of sense, being a tourist destination,” Ms Hudson said.

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