This season of nationwide stay-in-place orders has brought much disruption to American lives. One of the biggest disruptions has been to the food industry. Whether it's a local restaurant or local grocery store, the way we interact with these businesses has changed—perhaps forever.

One of the biggest complaints is the long lines outside grocery stores and navigating a store while social distancing. This can be especially arduous if all you need is a few items, are elderly or immunocompromised.

Now, AirGarage, a local SF startup is offering a no-contact, drive-thru service for essential groceries. Customers interested in a no-contact delivery can pre-order directly online and drive to the pop-up market any time on Saturday, April 4th between 3-6 pm to pick up their pre-packaged goods. The order process is easy. Shoppers simply add their license plate number to the order form, and pull in to the parking lot and pop their trunk to have their groceries loaded for them. Items available for purchase include essentials like fresh fruits, vegetables, and toilet paper. 

"We started AirGarage to help small businesses and churches earn additional income through their parking lots," said AirGarage CEO Jonathon Barkl. "Now in these challenging times, and as a local SF company, we are continuing to help by sponsoring drive-thru grocery stores for those in need in our Bay Area parking lots."

100% of proceeds will go to Alameda Food Bank, and any leftover groceries will go to the Berkeley Food Pantry. According to Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, on any given day in the United States, "1 in 9 people struggles with hunger."

AirGarage is using a pre-order system that will match customer orders with their license plate numbers. Orders will then be loaded directly into customers’ trunks, 100% contact-free. "We are using tools like pre-ordering online and a booking/reservation system to power this event and ensure smooth delivery for shoppers," said Chelsea Border, software engineer and Chief Data Officer at AirGarage.

With the current unpredictable cost and availability of essential goods, this pop-up will ensure weary shoppers can get the goods they want, quickly and while helping out a good cause.