Milperra Bottle-O pioneers home-delivered alcohol service through Menulog

DOWN a quiet street next to a pharmacy is a small bottle shop like you’d find in any Australian suburb, except this one is different.

George Federico’s Milperra Bottle-O has become one of the first bottleshops to deliver through the Menulog app. Picture: Tim Clapin

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DOWN a quiet street next to a pharmacy is a small bottle shop like you’d find in any Australian suburb, except this one is different.

Different because Milperra’s much loved Bottle-O is pioneering an idea previously reserved for takeaway cuisine: app ordered home deliveries.

In January, the bottle shop became the first of its kind allowed to sell alcohol through the hugely popular ordering service Menulog and subsidiary EatNow.

It didn’t take long for customers to catch on to the convenience of having a carton of beer or bottle of red delivered straight to their door, says owner Anthony Federico.

“People have definitely responded. It’s the age-old odyssey isn’t it –, convenience, something being dropped at your door.”

When Mr Federico was first approved to deliver his products through the apps he was getting one or two orders a week, but he now needs three delivery drivers, including himself, just to keep up with demand.

“One night it was actually quite funny, one driver was out on a delivery and the university student was out on another, and when I came back from my delivery my wife had the orders lined up ready to go, like you see at a restaurant,” Mr Federico said.

And orders don’t just come in from Milperra and its surrounds, with the shop delivering to 22 suburbs.

Mr Federico said Menulog was hesitant when he approached them with the idea, but eventually worked with him to make it happen.

Part of that three-month process involved getting a tick of approval from the NSW Government.

A Liquor and Gaming NSW spokesman said there were strict conditions for home delivered alcohol.

“A licensee must require the customer to supply their date of birth to confirm they are an adult,” he said.

“They must also give written instructions to the person delivering the alcohol requiring it to be delivered to the adult who placed the order, or another adult at the premises who undertakes to accept the order.”

Deliveries also aren’t allowed after 10pm and if anyone is drunk at the destination the driver has to turn around the take the alcohol back.

Despite this Mr Federico is happy he took the leap.

“I had to think outside the box. The kind of sales we would get before is someone walking in and buying a box of longneck VBs,” he said.

“Now it is growing and growing. I’m dreading Christmas season.”