Meter Maids plan food service to Surfers Paradise beachgoers

THE ICONIC Gold Coast Meter Maid service – originally set up 50 years ago by Gold Coast Mayor Bruce Small, as a novel promotional service to feed parking meters for visitors – is about to create another Australian first.

Just when the bikini-clad Meter Maid service has begun struggling to make ends meet in their tourist ambassador roles, and with meters on the Gold Coast going electronic – they have innovated again by combining with mobile food ordering company AirService to serve patrons on Surfers Paradise Beach. 

The service will utilise local Surfers Paradise restaurants and food outlets and has the blessing of the local tourism industry. Opposition to the plan may come, ironically, from the current Gold Coast City Mayor, Tom Tate and some councillors.

The service will allow beachgoers to order and pay for food via the Maid to Order app, powered by the AirService platform. Customers will then have their order delivered directly to their spot on the beach by the iconic bikini-clad Meter Maids. 

It will initially be available on the main Surfers Paradise beach with the aim of rolling out to other beaches within the area over time. 

The service provides long-time local vendors with a new way to connect with their customers, offering a true premium service and convenience. 

“Imagine you’re a family on the beach with children, or in particular a single parent. Now if you want to order lunch, or even just some ice-creams and drinks, you don’t need to drag the kids off the beach, carrying all your gear,” AirService co-founder and CEO Dominic Bressan said.

“You just place your order, and the Meter Maids will deliver it straight to you.”

In addition to helping local businesses thrive, the app also provides a different direction and purpose for the Gold Coast Meter Maids, giving them a new way to relate to and serve the local community.

“The 90s were controversial years for the Surfers Paradise Meter Maids, so too will be 2016. Trying to keep up with changing times and social attitudes, the Meter Maids decided to branch out and do something different - deliver food to the beach,” Meter Maids owner and manager Roberta Aitchison said.

“We are trying to keep up with the times and as our business is to support our community first and foremost, what better way to do this than help local restaurants keep their heads above water with the Maid to Order app and also take the Meter Maids in a new and exciting direction.”

Mr Bressan said the launch catapults the Gold Coast’s beaches ahead of other global beachside tourist hotspots — using technology for the ultimate in beachside food delivery. 

Food delivery services are available at some of the most exclusive beaches in the world, including the Nikki beach clubs across Europe, South East Asia and the US, and Waikiki Beach in Hawaii, where bars and restaurants will serve patrons on the sand.

“None of these, however, do so with the convenience of the Maid to Order app, where customers don’t have to flag down waiters to take their orders, or worry about having cash or their credit cards on them,” he said.

Theo Kostoglou, the owner of the Greek Street Grill at Surfers Paradise gave his support to the venture: “Surfers Paradise is a tourist destination for the whole of Australia, so it should be in line with the rest of the world where food is served and delivered to the beach. We’re behind the times.

“It’s better that the Meter Maids are taking food to the beach than forcing patrons to cross the road, which is more dangerous. It also means that tourists get to enjoy the beach longer. This app could increase customers by up to 15 percent.”

www.airservice.com/maid-to-order/

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