With the recent addition of alcohol to the menu items on Grubhub, it seems like the company opened the door to more restricted items.
If you’re wondering whether Grubhub has also started delivering cigarettes, I did some digging, and here’s what I found!
Does Grubhub Deliver Cigarettes In [currentyear]?
Grubhub does not deliver cigarettes or any tobacco products as of [currentyear]. Grubhub is still primarily focused on food and drinks, including alcoholic ones. Because Grubhub delivers alcohol, cigarettes might be available in the future. You can get cigarettes delivered through DoorDash, but only if you’re not a minor and not within a restricted zone.
Keep reading to learn all you need to know about getting cigarettes from Grubhub, including possible reasons you can’t, alternatives, and more!
What Does Grubhub Deliver?
Grubhub can deliver the following:
- Meals and other regular food items, e.g., pizzas, burgers, pasta
- Drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic
- Snacks like pop tarts and potato chips
Further, regular food and drink options are straightforward enough to order from Grubhub, but alcohol is very restricted.
That said, you can only order alcohol from Grubhub if you’re at least 21 years old, and it’s part of an order that also includes food in a predetermined ratio.
Also, Grubhub doesn’t let you order alcohol outside the following areas:
- California
- Arizona
- Cook County, IL
- Minnesota
- Florida
- Michigan
- New York State
- Oregon
- Virginia
- Washington DC
Moreover, Grubhub tells its drivers not to deliver alcohol to people who are in the following locations:
- Private and public schools from kindergarten to 12th grade
- College campuses, including frat houses
- Prisons and reformatories
- Veterans’ homes
- State capitol grounds
- Businesses that sell alcohol, such as liquor stores
- Lockers and other similar package storage services like storage facilities
Why Doesn’t Grubhub Deliver Cigarettes?
Grubhub hasn’t given a reason why it doesn’t deliver cigarettes, but there’s a strong chance that it would be very difficult to implement the service.
Like alcohol, cigarettes are very restricted all over the country.
While it’s legal to buy cigarettes online, there aren’t any federal laws, so Grubhub would have to look into how it works for each state.
Moreover, providing a heavily regulated product would be difficult even for a company as big as Grubhub.
For example, while you can order alcohol from Grubhub in Illinois, you can only do so from Cook County because Grubhub hasn’t set up the service anywhere else in the state.
With that, these logistical challenges are why Grubhub still doesn’t deliver cigarettes, and other food delivery services stick to food.
Another possible reason Grubhub doesn’t deliver cigarettes might be that it noticed the item isn’t profitable.
Across the country, the price of a pack of cigarettes ranges between $5 and $7.
Therefore, even if a customer was a heavy smoker going through a pack a day (20 cigarettes), Grubhub’s revenue would still be lower than other menu items.
In contrast, a single beer costs nearly $20, and people usually buy multiple in one go, so its inclusion in the menu is justified.
That said, the fact that Grubhub provides alcohol delivery means there’s a small but possible chance it might start delivering cigarettes like one of its biggest competitors.
Is There An App That Will Deliver Tobacco?
DoorDash delivers cigarettes and other tobacco products such as cigars and vapes. Still, this service is heavily restricted and is not available to everyone.
For starters, both the person ordering and the person delivering tobacco from DoorDash need to be at least 21 years old.
Also, a Dasher that accepts an order with a tobacco product will need to provide their ID before picking it up, and they will need to ask the customer for their ID before handing it over.
Moreover, DoorDash tells its drivers to check the customer’s ID when delivering tobacco on every occasion, even if they look 21 or older.
To prove that you’re old enough to handle tobacco orders from DoorDash, you need to show a valid driver’s license, passport, or military ID with your photograph and date of birth.
Additionally, DoorDash will not deliver cigarettes and other tobacco products to the following locations:
- Private and public schools from kindergarten to 12th grade
- Hospitals and other healthcare facilities
- Sports venues or any other place where a sports event is being held
- College campuses, including frat houses
- Prisons and reformatories
- Veterans’ homes
- State capitol grounds
- PO boxes
- Lockers and other similar package storage services like storage facilities
- Businesses that sell tobacco products like a smoke shop
Also, DoorDash tells its drivers to use their judgment when delivering tobacco products instead of just following these guidelines impulsively.
Therefore, they’re likely to listen because they’re the ones who could be held liable for anything that goes wrong.
To know more, you can also read our posts on why is Grubhub so slow, how much to tip Grubhub, and does Grubhub deliver alcohol.
Conclusion
Grubhub does not deliver cigarettes, likely because it would be a hassle to implement and wouldn’t bring in enough money to justify having them.
However, DoorDash delivers cigarettes and other tobacco products like vapes and cigars but only to people at least 21 and aren’t within restricted areas such as schools and hospitals.
