Square announced Wednesday that the point of sales system would now be introducing an on-demand alcohol delivery feature for restaurants, bars, breweries, or any other operator that partners with Square. This commission-free service will allow customers to purchase alcohol through an operator’s website and the order will then be fulfilled through DoorDash for a flat fee of $1.50.
“We’re excited to offer a new way for restaurants, retailers, and alcohol sellers to get the most out of their existing stock,” David Rusenko, head of eCommerce at Square said in a statement. “Whether that’s a restaurant monetizing its wine seller, a grocery store supplementing their on-premise sales, or a local brewery introducing old favorites to a new crowd, we’re proud to provide our sellers with a new way to make more money.”
The alcohol delivery service will dispatch orders placed through a Square online ordering page to DoorDash, and a courier will then deliver the order and verify the age of the customer upon arrival. The recipient will also be able to track the order, and operators can choose to provide special offers and decide whether or not they want to pass on a portion of fees to the customer.
This service will likely be appealing to restaurants that took advantage of changed liquor delivery laws during the pandemic, as well as operators that already focus on alcohol as a significant portion of their sales, like A.W. Wander Craft Beer and Pizza in Manlius, N.Y., who said that alcohol delivery has allowed them to grow revenue and margins with each delivery order:
“Craft beer is really our business, so for us to be able to offer our core product commission free for on-demand delivery is huge,” owner Dan Chapman said in a statement. “That said, there will always be times when customers would rather have a drink at home - we don't want to miss out on that occasion. Adding a couple of beers to a food delivery is great for the customer and really meaningful to our bottom line.”
Alcohol delivery is available in select states and operators can sign up the service through Square here.
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