Burgers By Bike

ROLL OUT: Bike deliveries can boost sales and increase a restaurant’s visibility.

Few full-service restaurants offer delivery service at all, let alone provide it themselves. But a Johnny Rockets unit in San Francisco is going where perhaps no full-service restaurant has gone before, not just transporting food to nearby customers, but doing so by bike.

Not only is the 1950s diner-themed Johnny Rockets racking up incremental sales and gaining green street cred in the process. Each delivery also provides plenty of in-your-face advertising via the eye-catching logo attached to the delivery bike's frame.

Couple this with the ongoing burger craze and it seems like a can't-miss proposition — especially now that every San Francisco unit of Johnny Rockets feature foodie favorite Niman Ranch beef in its burgers (other units of this 295-unit national chain do not).

“San Francisco is known as one of the most environmentally conscious cities in the country and we are proud to show Johnny Rockets' commitment to sustainability and traffic reduction,” says franchise owner Matt Johnson.

The delivery parameters go like this: the full menu is available from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. seven days a week. Delivery is free, but requires a minimum $10 purchase. It's only available within a 10-block radius of the restaurant, which is located on Chestnut Street and serves San Francisco's Marina and Cow Hollow neighborhoods.

This seems like an idea other operators might want to consider exploring, providing their location's weather and population density would make delivery feasible. The upfront costs (Johnny Rockets went with a modest cruiser-type bike) are minimal, as is the likely operational hassle. Just be sure to check with your insurance agent before you give it a try.