Student starts LettuceHelp grocery service

Mike Stunson

LettuceHelp co-owner Kalu Njoku said he was shopping in December when he saw a woman struggling to shop while dealing with her kids.

“She was literally just in tears, and I was like, ‘I wish there was something I can do,’” he said.

It didn’t take Njoku, a Bowling Green resident, long to start helping.

He started LettuceHelp, a business that aims to help people who may not have the time or means to get to the grocery store themselves, with Smithland sophomore Cory Dodds and Bowling Green resident Tony Huynh. Customers place their order, and a LettuceHelp shopper will buy their products and deliver them to the customer for a charge.

Students who live on campus can pay $14.99 for the service, in addition to the cost of the groceries. Prices vary for those living off campus. Orders can be placed on lettucehelp.net or over the phone at (270) 681-2696.

“We tell people you are buying convenience,” Njoku said. “We are just trying to make things easier for people.”

Dodds said he sees people come up with business ideas that fail because people don’t have the motivation to continue them. But he thinks LettuceHelp is different.

“Once I met Tony and saw how fired up he was, it was almost contagious, and I was engrossed and invested in the idea,” Dodds said.

In addition to their grocery delivery service, LettuceHelp also has a hauling service. They’ll help move items to someone’s house for $40 per truckload.

LettuceHelp has also teamed up with other businesses to offer computer repairs, and a landscaping service will be coming soon.

The Student Government Association approved a resolution at Tuesday’s meeting that will support LettuceHelp. Dodds, a member of SGA, said he would like to see students be able to use their Big Red Dollars to purchase their groceries through them.

“It’s more convenient for students than cash,” Dodds said. “Campus is a big target market for us, because it’s a hassle getting groceries while living in dorms.”

LettuceHelp now has a staff of seven, but Huynh envisions immediate growth with the business.

“We’re going to grow quick and keep reaching out and just keep going,” Huynh said.

Njoku calls LettuceHelp a business that “makes you want to do better.”

“Through what people see of what we are doing we hope it will transfer over to them,” he said. “I tell people the objective is to make money, but on top of that we want to be remembered and to have an impact.”