New Yorkers love convenience. In the City That Never Sleeps, customers are accustomed to getting anything they want delivered, at any hour — including alcohol. If you run a restaurant in New York, alcohol delivery is a fantastic way to provide customers with a more convenient and complete at-home dining experience. It benefits your business, too; adding beer, wine, and mixed drinks to your delivery menu can bring in more customers and boost profits.

The secret to success? Partnering with the best alcohol delivery service in NYC. Top providers offer the support and guidance you need to create a safe, efficient delivery operation.

Benefits of alcohol delivery in NYC

New service offerings are no small undertaking for restaurants in New York City. Before you add alcohol delivery to your business model, take time to consider the benefits.

Convenience

When you add alcohol to your delivery drink menu, it automatically creates a more convenient dining experience for your New York City customers. They don’t need to buy beer, wine, or cocktails separately — they can get everything at once. This small perk can give your restaurant a competitive advantage over establishments that don’t offer alcohol delivery. It may also increase the likelihood that customers will order again in the future.

Increased profit

At Grubhub, we find that when restaurants add alcohol to their delivery menus, their average order value increases by upwards of $15. It’s a natural effect, given the substantial markup on wine and beer. Those businesses also report that approximately 10% of their orders include at least one menu item that contains alcohol. In other words, offering drinks for delivery is an efficient way to boost your profits without a substantial increase in labor.

Business growth

New York City offers a high volume of potential customers. Expanding your delivery service to include alcohol is one way to reach more of them — you’ll automatically attract diners who are interested in both food and drinks. Whether they want a simple glass of wine or a craft beer, your drink menu will be a big selling point. As awareness of your new offerings grows, you may experience a noticeable increase in delivery orders.

How alcohol delivery works

As you might expect, alcohol delivery comes with some roadblocks. How do you know that customers are of legal age if you don’t see them in person? Are there laws surrounding beverage delivery? Can you deliver wine? At Grubhub, we’ve built a system that anticipates potential problems, creates a positive customer experience, and helps you stay compliant with city and state regulations.

Here’s how New York City alcohol delivery works on Grubhub:

1. Order comes in. Because alcoholic beverages are incorporated into your regular Grubhub menu, customers can easily place orders for wine and other drinks.
2. Restaurant accepts. Your New York City staff accepts the order as usual.
3. Restaurant packages and labels drinks. Follow local, New York state, and Grubhub guidelines for alcohol packaging. Laws vary by jurisdiction, but in general, you must package wine, beer, and alcoholic drinks separately in sealed, spill-proof containers and label them as containing alcohol. This helps our drivers deliver them safely.
4. Driver picks up the order. During the pickup process, they check the packaging for compliance. This is true for all alcoholic drinks, including wine and cocktails.
5. Driver verifies customer age. When the driver arrives at the customer’s address in New York City, they request and scan a photo ID. They also do a visual check to help verify that the ID is valid and authentic. Finally, the driver checks for signs of intoxication. If the customer is underage or visibly intoxicated, the driver will hand over nonalcoholic items and return alcoholic beverages to your restaurant.
6. Driver completes alcohol delivery. If the customer is of legal age and not intoxicated, the driver completes the delivery.

Done safely, offering wine and alcoholic beverages can be an effective way for your New York City restaurant to gain more customers. At Grubhub, we’re committed to remaining among the best alcohol delivery services in the city. To protect your business and ours, we don’t allow delivery to schools, colleges, prisons, or businesses that sell alcohol. The customer must always be on hand to receive the order in person.

Keep in mind that your restaurant must have a liquor license to offer alcohol delivery, and you’re responsible for understanding and following all applicable laws.

Boost drink delivery today

If you’re looking for ways to increase profits and expand your customer base, alcohol delivery is an effective strategy. Grubhub can help you integrate this new service offering successfully and smoothly; we offer a wealth of tools and resources to help you navigate the process, whether you’re adding a few wine options or a full bar menu. You can also leverage our vast library to build a strong, thriving New York City restaurant business.

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