Delivery services, including Snag and DoorDash, may offer busy students a convenience that cannot be underestimated.
Snag, created by University of California, Santa Barbara students, was invented with convenience in mind, offering speedy delivery.
Kaiden Artman, a junior studying finance and accounting, is the store manager for Athen’s Snag on West Stimson Avenue. Snag operates daily, from noon to midnight.
Artman said Snag’s busiest nights are Friday and Saturday, from 8 p.m. to midnight, and staff may receive orders every couple of seconds. Snag staff deliver items via electric scooters or bikes to easily maneuver the college campus and provide a quick delivery service to customers.
“We’re owned and operated by college students, so they (customers) get delivered to by their peers,” Artman said.
The delivery service sells a variety of goods from snacks and alcohol to household items. These items are stocked in the Snag warehouse and range in price. A three-ounce bag of Cheez-Its sells for $3.39, a four-ounce bottle of Crest toothpaste costs $8.69 and a 750 milliliter bottle of Malibu Pineapple Rum costs $16.99.
“Because we have a little bit of everything, we don’t specialize in anything,” Artman said. “We have anything in our warehouse you could ask for, and we’re just the convenience factor. If they (customers) want to go to Busy Day, they can, but they choose us for convenience.”
Similar to many delivery services, Snag has a delivery fee of $2.99 and offers users the option to tip their drivers. Customers can upgrade to Snag Plus for $7.99 a month and avoid any delivery fees.
“What we focus on the most is marketing — we are college students, it’s your peers delivering your orders,” Artman said. “You’re not going to have some random forty-year-old man come and deliver it. So it’s a very safe environment.”
A student whose pockets are plummeting but wants the convenience of delivery may be better off ordering from Snag. Walmart delivery prices range between $19.95 for express, $14.95 for three hours or less and $9.99 for other time reservations.
As Snag’s popularity rises among students, other local businesses and restaurants welcomed delivery services too. Grace Corbin, vice president board of directors for Casa Nueva, spoke about the restaurant’s approach to delivery.
“I think we remain pretty steady, so I can’t say for sure whether I think (delivery services) have had an impact on business volume, but I know that it’s expensive and we really strive to keep our food really affordable,” Corbin said. “We do a lot of takeout.”
Although the Mexican restaurant offered delivery for two years during COVID-19, it no longer does. Corbin said Casa has always said no to services like DoorDash due to their administrative operations.
“We know the administration side of DoorDash; they keep a big chunk of the sales you do through them, and that’s why delivery fees are all over the place because some businesses have a better time handling that percentage,” Corbin said.
Although Snag and DoorDash may be convenient, Corbin said these services lack human connections, and local businesses offer a variety of positive experiences.
“Personal touch, atmosphere and an inclusive space with friendly faces,” Corbin said. “DoorDash doesn’t even knock on your door anymore. They just leave it on your doorstep.”
Like Corbin, Gregg Burlovich, manager of The SideBar, said the restaurant does not currently deliver but provides takeout. Burlovich said the convenience of these delivery services can cause local businesses to be overlooked.
“It is convenient to be able to have your food delivered directly to you, and I think a lot of people nowadays are so strapped or tied to that,” Burlovich said. “I know even now a lot of people who never set foot in some of these local restaurants, but who have food just due to DoorDash or ingredients.”
Local businesses like Casa and SideBar can offer Athens residents and students an unforgettable experience; however, the convenience of delivery services may be hard to beat.
For people looking to leave the house and explore Athens' hotspots, SideBar, on 24 E. State St., is open Monday through Saturday from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Sunday from 3 p.m. to 12 a.m. Casa is open Sunday and Monday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and closed Tuesdays.
“The delivery fees are passed onto the customer,” Corbin said. “We didn’t want to be like, ‘Here is your $14 burrito and you owe us five bucks.’ But, I do think the convenience can’t be understated … delivery is not going anywhere.”
