Alcohol Delivery Service Targets Tech-Savvy Millennials

The following article was reported through a collaboration between the New Haven Independent and the Multimedia Journalism class at Southern Connecticut State University. The students are profiling local small businesses.

Hartford-based alcohol delivery service Porter21 has made its way to New Haven with plans to expand even further, said its founder, Ankit Harpaldas.

“We’re extending the voice of any liquor store past the four walls that they’re in,” said Harpaldas.

Porter21 allows users to view and purchase from a liquor store’s inventory online. The service matches users with an inventory based on their zip code. An employee from the liquor store then delivers the alcohol and asks for identification.

Harpaldas declined to disclose which liquor stores in New Haven he has partnered with. Porter21 acts as a digital middleman for people who want alcohol, but don’t feel like leaving home.

“Once you place an order, that order is now redirected to the liquor store in that area,” said Harpaldas. ​“It’s a fully seamless process that we’ve built. That order is then processed and handled by the liquor store. We are simply acting as someone that is creating that order.”

The site guarantees delivery within 60 minutes or less and requires a $25 minimum purchase.

The business launched less than a year ago and expanded to New Haven in March.

The Owner
Harpaldas describes his project as his ​“first leap out of corporate America.”

Harpaldas said he was raised with an ​“entrepreneurial spirit” and has a background in finance from his previous job at Goldman Sachs.

“That thought was always in the back of my head,” said Harpaldas, ​“that I always wanted to do my own thing, work on my own projects, own my own business one day.”

Is This Legit?
Liquor stores that decide to use the Porter21’s online platform pay a flat rate, said Harpaldas.

John Suchy, director of the Liquor Control Division at the department of Consumer Protection, said the service is within state liquor laws.

“All they are doing is serving as an advertising platform,” said Suchy, in a phone interview. ​“The package store is responsible for their own delivery.”

Liquor stores have always been allowed to deliver, a fact that Harpaldas said most people have yet to grasp.

“All we did was throw technology into the mix,” said Harpaldas. ​“We’re using technology to leverage whatever they were doing already.”

The process that’s being taken behind the counter is the same process being taken at the door, said Harpaldas.

Reaction
The Millenial generation is Porter21’s target demographic, but Harpaldas said that extending his e‑service to New Haven was not a plot to attract college students.

“Our target demographic is the Millennial generation because that generation is more tech savvy,” said Harpaldas. ​“They’re more interested in using technology for their convenience.”

However, some Millennials like Wesley Boucher, resident adviser at Southern Connecticut State University, question the necessity of services like Porter21.

“If you’re too lazy to go to the liquor store and buy a bottle of wine, or beer or whatever, you probably shouldn’t be having it to begin with,” said Boucher.

Boucher said that the process poses safety concerns because once the driver steps foot onto unfamiliar territory, he or she might be more inclined to serve alcohol to a minor to avoid a small inconvenience.

Jon Antrum, a New Haven resident, worries that services like Porter21 might worsen alcoholism by making alcohol more accessible.

“Making alcohol easily available can be an issue,” said Antrum.

Ayan Hashi said Porter21 is a recipe for success.

“There’s nothing else like it and it makes it easier to throw parties or have events, catering,” said Hashi. ​“It’s a great idea, i think Porter21 will be very successful.”