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DoorDash delivery service irks business owners

Posted at 9:26 PM, Dec 10, 2015
and last updated 2015-12-10 21:26:00-05

INDIANAPOLIS -- A new food delivery service is prompting concerns from Broad Ripple business owners who say the company is distributing incorrect information about their restaurants, as well as using logos without permission.

DoorDash, based out of northern California, recently launched its delivery service in areas such as Broad Ripple, Butler University, Carmel and the north side of Indianapolis.

Call 6 Investigates found the company is facing a federal lawsuit from In-N-Out Burgers accusing DoorDash of using their logo and delivering their food without an agreement.

The lawsuit was filed just last month in the United States District Court Central District of California.

Dozens of Indianapolis restaurants are listed on DoorDash’s website and mobile app.

Several restaurants told Call 6 Investigates the delivery service used their logo without approval.

“They approached me a few months ago asking if I wanted to partner with them, and I told them I wasn’t interested in delivery service,” said Joe Cominsky, owner of Broad Ripple restaurant Fire on the Monon. “There was no agreed upon relationship.”

That’s why Cominsky was surprised when a DoorDash delivery driver showed up Sunday to pick up a to-go order.

“It took the driver an hour to pick up the food, so we had to remake it at our expense,” said Cominsky. “There’s no way we’re going to jeopardize the brand by sending out some substandard product. We try to get the food out the door in 15 minutes for a typical to go order.”

Cominsky complained and DoorDash removed the Fire on the Monon logo from its sites.

Eddie Sahm, owner of Sahm’s Place at 65th and Keystone, said DoorDash incorrectly listed his restaurant as closed when it was, in fact, open for business.

“Sahm’s Place is open,” said Sahm Wednesday afternoon after seeing DoorDash listed his restaurant as closed.

Sahm also said DoorDash confused two restaurants with similar names – Sahm’s Place and Sahm’s Parkwood.

DoorDash also listed the wrong menu for Sahm’s Place, according to Sahm.

“That (menu) is three to four years old,” said Sahm as he looked at the mobile app. “It’s false advertising. It’s using wrong information and wrongly promoting my business. You pay a lot of money to get attention to your brand, and I take a lot of pride in my brand.”

A DoorDash spokesperson told Call 6 Investigates the delivery service launched in Indianapolis on November 18 and they’ve seen an “incredible response” from Indy customers.

“From positive reviews to growing orders it’s clear that people in Indianapolis are excited about the opportunity to have their favorite restaurants delivered to their door,” said Eitan Bencuya, DoorDash spokesperson, in an email to Call 6 Investigates. “    

Call 6 Investigates asked DoorDash why logos are being used without permission.

“When we launch in a new market, as we did just three weeks ago in Indianapolis, we sometimes assess demand for various types of restaurants and cuisines by testing delivery from restaurants with whom we don't have a formal relationship,” said Bencuya. “In those cases we deliver with the same quality and experience customers expect from DoorDash. We also make our best effort to contact the owner or general manager of the restaurant, let them know we’ve added their store to the DoorDash platform to test customer demand, and offer them the opportunity to partner with DoorDash more formally.” 

Bencuya said DoorDash will remove restaurants who do not want to be on the site.           

Call 6 Investigates also asked about listing restaurants as closed when they are open for business.           

“Currently we offer delivery in Indianapolis between 11:00am and 10:00pm,” said Bencuya. “If a customer tries to place an order outside these times, they may see that all restaurants are marked as closed on DoorDash.”    

Doordash admitted some of the menus are outdated.

“Menus can occasionally be out of date if we haven’t received the most recent menu from the restaurant,” said Bencuya. “As soon as we receive a new menu or are informed of updates we edit the menu on DoorDash accordingly.”        

The company’s goal is to provide customers with the best possible delivery experience.           

“To ensure we’re providing a great delivery experience, DoorDash uses an innovative logistics technology to rout deliveries quickly and efficiently,” said Bencuya. “Our algorithm intelligently assigns the right driver to each order, ensuring shorter delivery times and a great customer experience. We also limit the radius on a restaurant to restaurant basis to ensure we only deliver to customers close enough to receive warm, fresh and high quality food.” 

Restaurants Call 6 Investigates spoke with said if you’re thinking about using Doordash, do a little research before you place an order.           

“Call the restaurant and say ‘hey, I’m considering doing a delivery service through Doordash, do you have a relationship with them?’” said Cominsky. 

DoorDash was founded two years ago and has signed national partnerships with brands including Taco Bell, KFC, and Dunkin Donuts according to a company spokesperson.

According to the company’s website, they operate in cities such as Denver, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix and Minneapolis.

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