Food Delivery Company DoorDash Jumps into NYC’s 15-Minute Grocery Delivery Battle

Food delivery company DoorDash joins a wave of startups like Buyk, Gorillas and Jokr to launch 15-minute grocery delivery in NYC. Crains New York reports that the company this week launched and will hire its new venture called DashMart from a Chelsea location real employees, rather than relying solely on contractors. This is the first DashMart location to debut in the country, and expansion plans are already in the works with a handful of future NYC locations to follow in 2022, according to DoorDash’s chief policy.

DashMart is trying to differentiate itself from the competition in the space by leveraging its existing customer base that already uses the app to purchase goods such as toilet paper and groceries, Crains said. The company also plans to stock DashMart with items from popular restaurants in the city, including the Carbones line of pasta sauces and Robertas frozen pizzas.

The seemingly overnight influx of players delivering groceries has raised concerns among some in the city. Last month, local bodega owner and industry representative Francisco Marte expressed concern that bodegas could go bankrupt because of slick competition, and called on New York government officials to help fund technology efforts to compete with the startups.

Falafel favorite Tam expands to Park Slope

The new location opening today at 341 Seventh Avenue, between Ninth and 10th Street, marks the chain’s first outpost in Brooklyn, according to a restaurant representative.

Santacon charts its path through Manhattan

Bars like the Ainsworth in Chelsea and Doc Hollidays in the East Village are among those Participate in this year’s event, which kicks off Saturday at 10 a.m. in Midtown. Unsurprisingly, the upcoming fallow festivities have sparked some backlash: A petition is circulating to cancel Santacon this year, according to to EV Grieve; and a family-friendly cocoa crawl called Elfcon, launched by a 10th grader, is organized for the following day.

A Turkish and Nepalese pop-up to try

Celebrated chef Nasrin Rejali has teamed up with Rachana Rimal of Nepalese food company Rachanas Delight for a joint pop-up with Turkish and Nepalese dishes including dolma, cheese pida, chicken patties and lamb kibbeh. Dinner is scheduled for Wednesday, December 8 at 8 p.m. at Pn in Ridgewood. For those who can’t make it, Rejali is there too give a Persian cooking class the following week, on December 15, also at Pn.