It’s said that necessity is the mother of invention, and for two University of Georgia students, that adage certainly rings true. The two friends were hanging out when they got the idea to launch an alcohol delivery service.
As a result of their brainstorming session, the two men launched the company they call “Beer Run.” The concept is simple. A customer logs onto the website and makes their selection from a variety of adult beverages. A driver then goes and makes the purchase and delivers the goods within an hour.
They plan to “go live” on New Year’s Eve. The drivers will be working mainly for tips, and customers will be amazed that there is no additional charge for the service.
“There’s no markups,” one co-founder said. “If it’s $19.99 at the store, you pay that much through us.”
Beer Run also offer memberships. For $10 a month, customers can get unlimited free deliveries. Drivers will be hired as independent contractors to deliver the booze.
The state of Georgia presented quite a few roadblocks to the entrepreneurs. The men had to research the laws and go over the codes carefully. As a final caution, they consulted with attorneys.
The men were able to skirt the distribution laws by not charging for their services. They must also remain vigilant about checking IDs, as the penalties for sales of alcohol to minors can cost up to $1,000 in fines, coupled with a sentence of up to a year in jail.
Beer Run will use software to verify each customer’s age. Drivers will use an app to scans each ID of their 21-or-over clientele.
One potential benefit of the service could be a decline in Driving Under the Influence arrests, since customers can avoid the perils of drinking and driving when making their own “beer runs.” Far better to leave the driving to “Beer Run” deliverymen than facing the hassle of a criminal conviction for DUI.
Source: The Red & Black, “Student develops service to deliver beer to your doorstep,” Matthew Kopf, Nov. 19, 2015