Want Lo Mein? A Plane Delivers.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Robert Golike says he feels like the world’s most expensive food-delivery driver — but that’s probably because he uses a Cessna plane. A few months back, Mr. Golike, a pilot for Alaska Air Transit, was on the tarmac of Merrill Field, loading up a nine-seater plane with mail, produce and diapers, among other freight. He was set to fly those essentials to the Upper Kuskokwim region, more than 320 kilometers away.
But also on board was perhaps the most eagerly anticipated cargo: two DoorDash orders. One was steak tacos and churros from Pedro’s Mexican Grill in Anchorage, and the other an array of Chinese takeout classics from Famous Wok, including lo mein, beef broccoli and General Tso’s chicken.
Awaiting the delivery were Natalia Navarro and her family, who look forward to their “city food” fixes. “Once you get it, you really, really savor it,” she said.
But first, the pilot had to ferry the order to the airstrip in Nikolai. There, the box of food (only slightly crushed) was passed on to Ms. Navarro, 29, who works as a health aide at the village’s clinic. There are no grocery stores or restaurants in that community of fewer than 100 people, so once or twice a month she orders from DoorDash to break the monotony of chicken- and moose-based soups and stews.
After microwaving their order, Ms. Navarro and her family dug in. It wasn’t quite the same as eating city food in a city. “It’s not hot. It’s not fresh,” she said, but “it has the flavor you’re wanting.”
An intricate supply chain of delivery drivers, airline employees and pilots help bring a taste of the city to the tundra. Alaska Air Transit is one
On an ice-covered air strip in Nikolai, Alaska, people from the village helped a pilot unload supplies (and KFC). App-based services let people order takeout food delivered by plane.
of dozens of small airlines flying to remote areas of Alaska.
Today, with the ubiquity of food-delivery services, people living in places with no restaurants or grocery stores have access to all the cuisines the nearest city has to offer.
Mr. Golike, 38, said delivery-food orders are on nearly every flight. “KFC is the biggest one I see,” he said.
Josie Owen, an owner of Alaska Air Transit, said that although Alaskans sometimes order groceries from the nearest city, many practice a subsistence lifestyle and harvest their own food from the land. “A lot of the food deliveries here are just treats,” she said.
Most of the airlines will stop in a remote community only if a passenger is coming or going. When that happens, people in the village know they should ready orders with DoorDash, Grubhub, Uber Eats or a local expediter. Alaskans can expect to pay from $10 to $30 just to get their food to the plane.
Kristen Taylor, 40, bought an Anchorage franchise of the chain restaurant Papa Murphy’s in 2020 and set up a second business, Alaska Sky Pie, which arranges the shipping of frozen pizzas, cakes and party decorations across the state.
Through contracts with airlines in Anchorage, she said she can ship pizzas to “pretty much any village” for less than $5 for a large pie. With 10 pizzas, shipping is free. Ms. Taylor estimates that she sends out 7,500 pizzas a year.
She is touched by the notes she gets from families who order her pizzas. One, from a girl in Arctic Village, stood out:
“I’ve seen a pizza on TV, but I’ve never had one before.”