Cravy Delivers From Whole Foods West Palm Beach, Plans Fort Lauderdale Expansion

You work from home. You order your dinners in. You watch all your movies on the internet. You Skype with your friends instead of going out to see them. You even order a lot of your groceries through Amazon. But, ugh, you still have to go blinking out into the sun on your wobbly atrophied legs to pick up your organic and gourmet perishables. Damn your refined palate!

Not anymore! Cravy, the West Palm Beach-based technology company that aims to connect people with the things they "crave" using a social media platform, is aiming to take over South Florida one restaurant, bistro, and, now, grocery store at a time.

The company made a sneak preview appearance during the 2014 Grand Tasting Event at last year's Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival, where founder and CEO Manuel Bornia unveiled the concept to offer gourmet door service for the area's upscale restaurants that don't do take-out or delivery.

Now, if you're in the mood for a gourmet-class meal in the comfort of your own home, Cravy is your answer. You can choose from partners like PB Catch Seafood & Raw Bar, Patrick Lézé-Palm Beach, Del Frisco's Grille Palm Beach, Pistache French Bistro, Bice, City Cellar and the Virginia Philip Wine Shop.

This month, the company went one step further, announcing a new partnership with Whole Foods Market in West Palm Beach, a service that provides a special delivery program for the residents of West Palm Beach and Palm Beach. Currently in testing via a new website, CravyMarket.com, this partnership allows area Cravy customers to upload grocery lists and have the items packaged for an in-store pick-up, or delivered directly to their door.

According to Brenna Bertram, marketing director for Whole Foods Market West Palm Beach, the partnership with Cravy brings the store's customer service to the next level.

"Our partnership with Cravy allows our customers to receive their favorite Whole Foods Market items at home, and on demand," said Bertram. "This partnership is a natural extension of our dedication to service, convenience, and commitment to support the local food scene."

To place an order for delivery from Whole Foods Market, residents and area visitors create a free account on CravyMarket.com. From there, customers are asked to fill-in an online shopping list — or upload one from their computer, tablet, or smartphones — to place an order. Next, Cravy — with the assistance of the store’s concierge and provisioner — fulfill orders for scheduled delivery and in-store pickup between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. For the initial launch, a 24-hour notice is requested for all orders.

The best part: the first grocery delivery for each new customer is free. Following your first delivery, fees start at $9.99 per order within the initial delivery zone, including zip codes 33401, 33407, 33409 (and northern portions of 33480). Delivery will also be available in 33405 and southern portions of 33480 for an additional $5.99 delivery fee. Service fees will also apply.

In addition to grocery delivery, Cravy is also available for yacht, jet, and estate provisioning through Whole Foods Market. Provisioning delivery fees begin at $59.99.

"We couldn't be more proud of our relationship with Whole Foods Market and launching out test for grocery and provisioning delivery," says Cravy CEO and founder Manuel Bornia. 

The restaurant delivery sector of Cravy currently offers delivery from more than 60 restaurants and vendors across Palm Beach County, extending from Palm Beach Gardens south through downtown West Palm Beach, Northwood Village, and City Place. As part of its expansion plan, the company is planning to extend coverage in the coming months, beginning with Southern Palm Beach County, Broward, and Miami-Dade expected later this year.

According to Bornia, Cravy will be be launching in Fort Lauderdale within the next 60 days. Currently, the list of clients include Rocco’s Tacos, Big City Tavern, and the soon-to-launch Louie Bossi in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The company is currently looking to hire team members as part of the expansion, and job opportunities in each market can be found at cravypeople.com.

Cravy's expansion will also be a first step in establishing growth with Whole Foods Market. For now, the partnership remains limited to West Palm Beach location, but could expand to new locations as the coverage area grows.

Nicole Danna is a food writer covering Broward and Palm Beach counties. To get the latest in food and drink news in South Florida, follow her @SoFloNicole or find her latest food pics on the BPB New Times Food & Drink Instagram.