HAMPTON, Va. – A food delivery service geared toward helping military members is now expanding into Hampton Roads.
Former Marine Todd Waldemar started Chow Call in North Carolina. Because it is such a process to get base access, many commercial food delivery services don’t serve those on base.
“There’s a void where these customers don’t have the same conveniences as other people do,” explained Waldemar.
Ludo Frequelin is now the manager for Chow Call in Hampton Roads. He tells News 3 that Chow Call really works to develop relationships with the military facilities and it also has an extensive process to hire drivers.
“The difference with us is our workers are W-2 employees, not contractors. We meet in person. We interview them. We vet them, do a background check, driving record check," Frequelin explained.
Chow Call says it can deliver in town, but it does most of its business on base.
“Our main customers are really those guys and gals in the barracks,” stated Waldemar.
Frequelin is from France. He said he would have loved to have this service while he was in the Navy.
“I really loved the idea, because when I was stationed onboard my destroyer 14 years ago, I didn’t have a car, and I wished there was a service on base delivering food,” Frequelin said. “I was relying on a bus or walking.”
Chow Call serves bases in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and Fayetteville, North Carolina. It just started on Langley Air Force Base, and the owner says starting the first week of June, they will be on Fort Eustis. Waldemar has big plans to expand to South Hampton Roads and beyond.
“Our goal is to be on 27 bases in the next 18 months,” stated Waldemar. “We’ll be in Northern Virginia in just a few months, and then we hope to be in Southern California and Washington state within the next 18 months.”
Users can order food through Chow Call by calling or through their website. There’s also an app.
The founder of Chow Call said they’re in talks with the Commissary to deliver groceries, starting by the end of the year with Naval Air Station Oceana.
