they generate for the cooperative.
Where Do We Get the Apps and the Software? The next step is the technology and apps. There are apps and software that technical people across the country have developed that can be purchased or leased. An entrepreneur in Iowa City appears to have a very good system. It will take some time and energy to get this started, but any restaurant that is in this for the long haul might want to consider taking control of something like their delivery service. Delivery has become a major cost to restaurants and will probably become a bigger part of the fabric of American life even after a vaccine is developed and administered. Once established, the restau-
rant owners can make it clear that they would love to deliver your order, but there is only one company they use and that is Milwaukee’s own restaurant delivery cooperative. Now that business is currently slow due to the pandemic, is it time to take more control over your food delivery model?
Louis Fortis is the editor/publisher of the Shepherd Express. He also has experience with cooperatives. Fortis was CEO of the Wisconsin Community Development Finance Authority in the 1980’s and part of its mission was to assist in the creation cooperatives. He is a Ph.D. economist by formal training and taught an annual graduate seminar at UW-Milwaukee on community economic development that included a major section on cooperatives. Fortis was also on the board and was treasurer of the Outpost Coop in the 1990s.
for wearing masks.
We’re All In is an initiative based on the idea that to move forward, we need to have each other’s backs. Adjusting our behavior is the surest way to slow the spread of COVID-19 and the smartest way to improve our economy. Discover more things you can do at WeAreAllInWI.com. August 2020 | 17
