WYOMING, Mich. — Delivery services like DoorDash have suspended its deliveries until Saturday due to the winter storm that has hit West Michigan.
However, despite these conditions, the Papa John's in Wyoming is staying open. With this weather, the calls are coming in by the minute.
"It starts to get really busy," Papa John's delivery driver Charlie Velthouse said.
Velthouse has been working at Papa John's for almost 20 years. He has worked as a delivery driver for the last four years. But in his time working in the delivery industry, he has never seen any blizzard like this.
"This will be the first big storm I will be out in," Velthouse said.
Velthouse says it's critical to drive carefully in these conditions.
"I always try to make sure I drive extra slow," Velthouse said. "I know some people think we still try to drive fast. We still want to get pizzas there quickly. But we still want to make sure we drive a lot slower."
Several different challenges appear for pizza delivery drivers in these conditions. There is one factor that stands out among the rest.
"People on the road is generally the bigger problem with today," Velthouse said. "There is a lot of that."
Despite the potential road blocks, Velthouse actually enjoys delivering pizza in snowy conditions.
"When it snows, it tends to get better," Velthouse said. "People are a little nicer. The tips are usually a little better."
Some customers tip in unique ways. On Thursday night, Heather Burnham purchased a pizza and not only tipped cash to Velthouse, but also sent him back to Papa John's with some cookies. Burnham says customers value delivery drivers, especially in this weather.
"They literally risk their lives driving around here, and bringing us food, and making sure we are okay when we can't go out, or we don't want to go out," Burnham said. "That's amazing. It's really appreciated."
That appreciation goes a long way as delivery drivers are making a big difference in this once in a generation storm.
"It's very important," Velthouse said. "People staying home and the few that can go out on the road, just let us do that."
The Papa John's in Wyoming plans on being open Friday as of Thursday night.
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