Editor's note: This story packages with another titled 'Online shopping trends are pushing grocery retailers to offer more convenience'
Late night delivery trends are starting to make their way into the Provo food culture, giving college students more options after many restaurants close for the night. Chip, a gourmet style chocolate chip cookie company, and Five Sushi Brothers, a late-night sushi company, both started their late-night food delivery services in the past year.
Naoto Suzuki, a senior studying business management, has used both delivery services. He said the college demographic plays a large role in the success of both companies.
'I think we are social, so we are with people late at night and then someone mentions food, and that is all everyone in the group wants,' Suzuki said.
Chip claims to have changed the 'cookie game' for the Provo night scene by providing customers freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.
Chris Wirthlin and his brother Stephen, their sister Sarah and her husband Sean Wilson had often talked about starting a business, but it wasn't until November 2016 that Chip became a reality.
'We didn't invent the cookie,' Chris said. 'The actual recipe isn't anything unique, but what changes how our cookies taste is the process.'
Chip originally delivered to Provo's surrounding areas but has cut back on the distance because of the demand.
Brittany Hyde, an Orem resident, ordered cookies soon after Chip opened.
'They really are some of the best cookies we have ever had, but it is inconvenient that they no longer deliver outside of Provo,' Hyde said. 'That was what was most appealing.'
Five Sushi Brothers has also seen a lot of growth.
Sarah Chung makes sushi rolls at Five Sushi Brothers. (Dani Jardine)
Marketing student Jacob Chung and his brother, Ammon, were roommates when the idea of Five Sushi Brothers came to them. Most nights from 9 to 10, they would find themselves hungry with no desire to leave their apartment or make anything to eat. They said they figured they weren't the only ones with this predicament and decided to start a late-night sushi delivery service.
The Chungs chose sushi delivery because a lot of restaurants close around 9 p.m. in Provo, and they wanted to add more culture to the late night scene.
The Chungs began a Kickstarter campaign for Five Sushi Brothers in March 2016 and raised almost $8,000. They also raised money to build the company by holding a dance party and an Asian night market event.
Five Sushi Brothers recently moved to a new location on 445 N. Freedom Blvd in Provo.
Both companies currently make deliveries only in Provo but are hoping to broaden their reach as they continue to grow and become more efficient.