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As Florida lawmakers deliberate on the potential impact of SB 676, also known as the Food Delivery Platforms bill, the proposed legislation aims to reshape the dynamics between food delivery services and restaurants.
If passed, this bill would institute a significant change by prohibiting food delivery services from placing orders through restaurants without explicit consent. The envisioned outcome is to establish a direct point of contact between restaurants and consumers, allowing the former to actively participate in the delivery process.
Spearheading this initiative is Florida Republican Senator Jennifer Bradley, from Fleming Island. Bradley, through this bill, hopes for a more balanced and collaborative approach in the food delivery system. The proposed legislation seeks to transcend the current communication framework, which primarily revolves around interactions between food delivery services and consumers.
The proposed bill not only aims to redefine the relationship between food services and consumers but also has the potential to reshape the experiences of delivery drivers.
Samaria Jones, 20, has worked as a DoorDash delivery driver since 2020 and has dealt with issues on behalf of the restaurant while delivering orders.
Jones said that dashers are instructed by DoorDash to check and confirm that certain items are within the order of the customer during a delivery.
“If we deliver a recipient order and something is missing they are usually directed to make a complaint to the restaurant,” Jones said. “Restaurants now seal their bags which makes it a lot easier for dashers to not be put to blame if something is missing from a customer’s order.”
Although there are certain measurements in place during deliveries, Jones said that there are still not enough measures in place that deal with issues on the restaurant’s behalf during a delivery when it comes to getting an order to a customer timely.
“There are enough measures in place,” Jones said. “But it depends on how fast the establishment works on deliveries and the rate of traffic. I believe DoorDash orders are sent to restaurants as soon as they are placed and that DoorDash puts you on the fastest route to your customer.”
While this bill would change the experience of delivery drivers, it will also help to improve customer experiences with food delivery services.
BreAsia Barnes, 25, a frequent DoorDash customer, said that on the whole, her encounters with DoorDash have been convenient, with a few aspects she believes could be improved.
“I kind of wish that they [the restaurants] would communicate more,” Barnes said. “And then DoorDash communicating that the food is as quality as it would be going to the restaurant and getting it — making a checklist so the driver does not forget anything.”
In hopes of SB 676 getting passed, food delivery drivers and customers should expect an improvement throughout the delivery process.