Remember this the next time you sit for a cup of coffee in the Zagreb center, in a place like Cvjetni square or Bogovićeva street. You won't be able to count all the bikes with big cubes attached to them. Those cubes are orange, yellow, and blue, and if you have something similar in the place you live, you surely know what those are. And if you don't, this article is perfect for you. They're delivery services. The best thing for me is that the restaurant businesses have an extended area where they can sell their food and drinks. 

Let's say it's a rainy day in Zagreb, and you've spent your whole day walking around the streets, museums, and city parks. You are cold and tired, your feet hurt, and you just want some warm food in your belly. Maybe you don't like the food in your hotel's restaurant or simply want to try something different. In cases like this, food delivery apps come in very handy. At the palm of your hand, you can scroll through Zagreb's list of restaurants and choose whatever you are in a mood for at that particular moment. 

Photo Credit: Pauza.hr

Cube-Carrying Bikes

In the last year or so, Zagreb (and some other cities in Croatia) has become subject to the trend of third-party delivery services. Up until then, you could find a restaurant and hope it has a delivery, and that it will save you from hunger. As Zagreb is becoming a modern city, some changes are happening. And they bring a lot to the lifestyle of people in Zagreb. First, we got the opportunity to order taxis via all sorts of different apps while grading our drivers. And now, we can get our food, drinks and more delivered to our doorsteps. I tried all three of the delivering services available in Zagreb, so here they are. 

Photo Credit: Pauza.hr

Pauza.hr

Meaning "a break" in Croatian, Pauza.hr is the first food delivering service in Zagreb. But, it's important to say that they're not the first service which had their delivery. This is how it happened. At first, Pauza.hr was just an online platform that served as sort of a catalog with all the restaurants that partnered with them. I think it was a smashing idea to create such a platform. There are always new restaurants opening in Zagreb, but sometimes people don't feel like going to the restaurants or don't have time to check all the new places in town. With Pauza.hr, they can easily see what's new and have an option to order some food to their doorsteps. After a little while, Pauza.hr introduced a new feature to their service, which is their PauzaGO riders (as they call them).

Photo Credit: Pauza.hr

Besides introducing the riders, they also created a new website/platform through which you could order food. The platform will remember all the addresses you ordered from. It's up to you to choose the address where you want to receive your order. 

Maybe you've met some cool locals at the bar and invited them over to your Airbnb, but then remembered you have no food there. Luckily, PauzaGo comes to rescue. 

Wolt

Wolt is the first delivery service in Zagreb that started the trend of third-party deliveries. It works like this: you pay the price of the food plus the additional fee for the delivery, which then goes to the delivery person who is cycling with the food on his back. Not only is the Wolt the first such service, but it's also available in some other cities in Croatia. 

Photo Credit: Matko Katanec/Wolt

Working for a service such as Wolt is great for students. Once you get the delivering gear and install the delivering app on your phone, you can work whenever you want or can. Besides, a cyclist working for such a service is doing just that, cycling, which means they exercise while working. The majority of the deliverers are using bikes for delivering, which is great because there are also fewer motor vehicles like motorcycles and cars providing food. 

Photo Credit: Matko Katanec/Wolt

I remember this summer when friends and I were chilling on the grass in Zrinjevac park. Suddenly, someone mentioned they were hungry, and we all agreed we could eat something. I pulled out my phone and ordered some food from Wolt. Half an hour later, we were having an unexpected picnic in the park, thanks to Wolt's delivery. So there you go, another reason to love food delivery services. Picnics wherever and whenever you like. 

Glovo

Last but not least is Glovo. Their service is unique because their yellow cubed boxes can carry more than just food. Glovo has a partnership with all kinds of different stores where you can buy stuff like flowers, baby supplies, clothes, underwear, books, cosmetics, spices, and other similar things. Their slogan is "We deliver anything," and they're trying to live up to that promise. If it fits in their box, they will deliver it. 

Photo Credit: Tibor Trupec

Imagine you're visiting a friend or a client in Zagreb, and you're arriving late from the airport, and you don't have time to buy flowers or some other present. Glovo has your back. Not to mention that different businesses have an additional channel through which they can sell their products. 

Photo Credit: Tibor Trupec

Hungry Yet? 

I like the general idea of such a service existing in Zagreb, and I think all cities should offer something similar. The important thing which should be mentioned is that all three services accept credit cards, which is great. I'm sure you've almost once been in a situation where you had an appetite for a meal, but you didn't have enough cash at home. This way, delivery is paid upfront; all you have to do is open the door and enjoy your ordered delivery. 

Photo Credit: Pauza.hr

So, the next time you're hungry or in need of something from the list, remember Pauza.hr, Wolt, and Glovo. 

Header Image Credit: Pauza.hr

Author: Tibor Trupec