Delivery on deck: Shelbyville high schooler delivers food to families by boat

SHELBYVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — Who doesn’t love a day of sun, water and boating? Sounds like a summertime dream for some — until the hunger kicks in. It’s not always easy to reel everyone in and get back to land for a snack break.

Elizabeth Reed, a senior at Shelbyville High School, is changing that with her small business “ Nessie’s Boat Dash .” It’s a food delivery service by boat on Lake Shelbyville.

It all started in her high school’s CEO business class last year. The first step was creating a business plan, then getting approval from the Army Corps of Engineers, to eventually getting the business running out of Nessie’s at Lithia Springs Marina.

Reed wants to make things as easy as possible for anyone hitting the water.

“If you’re hungry out on the lake, and you don’t want to come all the way back in to get your lunch or a snack or dinner, then you can either call my number or you can go online and place an order,” she explained. “I’ll deliver your food out to your boats.”

For Reed, it’s all about giving back to the place she always considered a second home.

“I decided to start this business to support and draw more attention to the lake,” she said. “It’s another service to help people have a good time out here.”

Her favorite part is seeing the faces and how excited families are when they receive the orders. Over the last few months, she has had her fair share of busy delivery days, but Reed is eager to grow into the future.

“The goal is to make families happy and bring more convenience and fun to the lake,” Reed said. “Just bring a service a lot of people can enjoy.”

She plans to keep the business going this summer and next. Once she goes to college, she is considering passing it off to her sister.

If you’re interested in placing a delivery order next time you’re on Lake Shelbyville, call this number (217) 343-7415 or use this link . You can also follow her social media pages to keep updated on when and where she is delivering!

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