DoorDash is expanding its alcohol delivery program

After a successful run during the pandemic, DoorDash is expanding its alcohol delivery program across 20 states and Washington, D.C., the company announced Monday. Customers will be able to place orders for beer, wine, and spirits (with or without food) from participating local restaurants and grocery stores in select markets.

“Over the past year, many cities where we operate evolved their legislation in order to permit the delivery of alcohol to residents’ homes,” Caitlin Macnamara, director of alcohol strategy and operations at DoorDash said in a statement. Over that time, we worked tirelessly to build a trusted alcohol ordering and delivery experience for merchants, customers and Dashers.”

Right now, customers will be able to get alcohol to-go at participating venues in these states:

Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, New York, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, D.C. In select markets, customers can even bundle their meal from a restaurant with alcohol from a liquor store with DoorDash’s new DoubleDash program.

During the height of pandemic in 2020, multiple states loosened restrictions on alcohol delivery laws and restaurants turned to cocktails-to-go to boost checks while dining rooms remained closed.

Related:Pandemic fuels widespread changes in alcohol laws

For Frankie DiCarlantonio, owner of Scaffidi’s Restaurant Group in Steubenville, Ohio, alcohol delivery has been very useful. In fact, some customers just order a bottle of wine and don’t even get food. Overall, he said, alcohol delivery has increased their average delivery check size and overall customer satisfaction.

“We've found that people that are ordering alcohol order more frequently,” DiCarlantonio said. “[…] I would venture to say that it's creating more customer loyalty because of the all- inclusiveness of it, you know, you don't have to go to the storeto pick up the beer or wine with your meal because it comes with it.”

But as the peak of the pandemic waned, states, cities and local municipalities had to decide whether or not to extend this new legality or not. While some states, like California, approved alcohol to-go through 2026, New York abruptly ended its 15-month-long alcohol delivery allowance in June. Nation’s Restaurant News contacted DoorDash for more information on how New York is included in their list of participating states when the state ended its alcohol to-go and delivery sales in June.

Contact Joanna at [email protected]

Find her on Twitter: @JoannaFantozzi