Dining brought to your doorstep Real Meals by Wheels co-owners Adam Sandoval and Valentina Cervantes load up outside Angelina on Washington Street (photo by H. Marc Larson). Take-out delivery service growing By Anna Krejci News-Chronicle "This is probably going to be one of the biggest adventures in my life," said Valentina Cervantes, the 21-year-old entrepreneur who is in the process of starting a business. She is co-owner of a company that delivers take-out meals from three local restaurants to homes and offices - and the business is growing. "The hardest part is realizing how much work you put into it, the hours," she said of their business, Real Meals by Wheels. Recording business transactions, coordinating delivery schedules and managing the everyday aspects of the 5-month-old entrepreneurial endeavor fills every minute of every workday, she said. Cervantes, whose mother is the owner of Angelina, an Italian restaurant in downtown Green Bay, is no stranger to the restaurant industry. She has helped her mother in the restaurant since its establishment 6 years ago, and she speaks Italian, Spanish and English. Real Meals by Wheels co-owner Adam Sandoval, 25, started his first business in California. As an 18-year-old, he printed flyers for other businesses and eventually opened a dog-training academy called Sandoval Training. Sandoval's inspiration to begin Real Meals by Wheels originated from a company called Take-out Taxi. He tracked the company's success for two years, and decided Green Bay restaurants and their patrons might desire a similar service - if the price is right. By charging customers a delivery charge of $2.50 for orders less than $15, Real Meals by Wheels is making a niche in the Green Bay market, Sandoval said. Orders of $15 or more have no additional delivery charge. Sandoval compared this with $6 delivery charges in larger cities. In June, Sandoval proposed the idea to Cervantes, and Real Meals by Wheels has been in full operation since August. They have seen a 26 percent increase in business over the last three months. "We've gotten nothing but positive feedback," Sandoval said. "We've had very few one-time orders." The pair of entrepreneurs has developed a delivery plan for three Green Bay restaurants; Coppertop, Hansen's Dairy and Deli on Gray Street and Angelina. "It's a definite positive help. I absolutely love it," said Hansen's Dairy and Deli store manager, Kris Berg, who also said she hopes she does not have to share the service with the other four area Hansen's stores. Coppertop owner, Beth Wettstein, said the service appealed to her because it offered the chance to expand her customer base. "Anybody they reach is great," Wettstein said. In addition to Sandoval's and Cervante's hard work, networking has helped bring them to where they are now. "It's those close relationships that make our business work. We push their business as much as they push ours," Cervantes said. Sandoval expects the company to expand in several ways, but wants to maintain quality service for their customers. "In this type of business, customer service is key," he said. "We're trying not to grow too big, too fast," he said. Sandoval and Cervantes plan to purchase delivery car signs and open new branches to serve Howard, Suamico, Ashwaubenon and De Pere. Right now the business's four drivers deliver within the boundaries of U.S. 41, state Route 172 and Interstate 43. On-line ordering should be available by March. Menus can be viewed on the Internet at www.Bigcityfun.com. Real Meals by Wheels phone number is 499-8714.