‘I had to call’: DoorDash driver picks up order. Then they pull up to the ‘restaurant’
A DoorDash worker was shocked after she was instructed to pick up food from a residential home.
In a viral video with 68,500 views, TikToker Darci Gilreath (@GenXJesusLover) expressed concerns while recording in front of the home.
"Door Dash suspicion," the on-screen caption read.
What happened?
According to the DoorDash driver, she noticed something odd when she arrived to pick up the food.
"You see this?" she asked in the clip. "It's a residential home in the middle of a neighborhood."
However, DoorDash sent her to the address to pick up from a "restaurant" called The Island Spot, LLC. She called the company to confirm the address. It was located at the residential home.
"Now please tell me if you would be scared?" she asked viewers. "Would you wonder what on Earth are you picking up from here? Is it really food?"
She also wondered how a restaurant that operates from a residential home could be featured on DoorDash.
These restaurants are typically referred to as "ghost kitchens."
Recently, The Daily Dot reported on another TikToker's viral video where he claimed he was able to open a ghost kitchen on DoorDash.
He sold Costco muffins at a steep markup.
However, the "storefront" was shut down.
Is this allowed?
Per DoorDash's website, it is possible to have a delivery-only restaurant featured on the site.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many restaurants relied heavily on a delivery-only restaurant model.
Even after restrictions were lifted, delivery-only restaurants remained popular.
The website acknowledged the need for enough space to prep, cook, and store items when launching. It also recommended renting a commercial or cloud kitchen to launch a standalone restaurant out of.
However, there are rules and laws that require food vendors to have specific licenses.
According to Cloud Kitchens, there are some common permits and licenses needed to run a ghost kitchen, including:
- Business License
- EIN (Employer Identification Number)
- Certificate Of Occupancy
- Food Service License
- Food Handling Permit
- Liquor License
DoorDash’s website confirms these permits are typically required to operate on its app.
“Merchants are required to provide basic information about their business (e.g. business name, location, owner name) and their EIN to validate their entity,” its site states. “Merchants must also agree to comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including labor, health, and safety laws, in all markets in which they operate. There is no minimum order amount or sales amount to remain a DoorDash partner, and merchants can cancel or change their partnership plan any time.”
More information can be found on your local health department website for regulations regarding home-based food businesses.
@genxjesuslover Door Dash Suspicion #isthisabusiness #doordashfromahouse #theyorderedoxtails #tooweird #whatwasrealyinthebag #genxtiktokers ♬ original sound - GenXJesusLover
Commenters chime in
In the video's comments section, many expressed concerns with DoorDash featuring home-based restaurants.
"Who’s inspecting these ghost kitchen inside someone’s house. This just seems weird because how can we see if it’s clean or not," user Dawn_xo wrote.
"I would feel it's sketchy too and may not have even completed the order. I have never heard of a ghost kitchen," user missa7373.
In a follow-up clip, the DoorDasher said she in fact picked up and delivered the food.
The Daily Dot reached out to DoorDash by email and Darci Gilreath by TikTok comment and direct message for comment.
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