The former Family Video location will soon be home to a micro-fulfillment center for Gopuff, a national convenience delivery service. InkFreeNews photo by Liz Shepherd.

By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Gopuff, a national convenience delivery service, will soon be establishing itself in the Warsaw area.

The company was approved for an alcoholic beverage permit transfer during a Nov. 4 Kosciusko County Alcohol and Tobacco Commission meeting.

Gopuff’s working location will be inside the former Family Video store at 109 E. Winona Ave., Warsaw. According to David Rothenberg, a lawyer with McKean Law Firm in Indianapolis, Gopuff’s establishment in the building will serve as a micro-fulfillment center. McKean Law Firm represents Gopuff’s Indiana locations. Since Gopuff operates as a delivery service, there won’t be in-store shopping.

Similar to businesses such as DoorDash and GrubHub, Gopuff delivers essentials such as food, cleaning products and over-the-counter medicine. The business charges a $1.95 flat delivery fee.

“Their goal is to deliver within 30 minutes,” said Rothenberg. “Through the app, you enter your zip code and it accesses the inventory the fulfillment center closest to you carries. I know you’re thinking, ‘Who’s going to order, like a Coke and a bag of chips through a delivery service?’ But you’d be surprised … people who are 30 and younger are ordering these things. It’s hugely popular.”

Gopuff has locations in 650 United States cities, with locations including Fort Wayne, South Bend, Lafayette, Bloomington and Indianapolis. The company also has locations in the United Kingdom, Spain and France.

Rothenberg said delivery drivers are all 21 and older. For alcohol orders, customers’ driver’s licenses are scanned by delivery drivers.

Gopuff’s Warsaw location is set to open in the first quarter of 2022.

In other matters, the permit for the Phillips 66 gas station in Warsaw, which was denied by the local and state boards this year for multiple violations, was bought by GB License LLC.

The board also approved a permit transfer for Fortune 1 LLC, doing business as Wyndham Garden Warsaw, 2519 E. Center St. Rajesh Patel, Fortune 1 LLC’s owner, was present at the meeting.

Bryan Burcroff, the owner of Wings Etc., 3416 Lake City Highway, Warsaw, attended the meeting regarding a permit violation. He told the board that sometime in the spring, the restaurant’s bartender served a minor alcohol without checking identification. He said the bartender had worked at the restaurant for 15 years and was fired after the violation; however, the bartender was re-hired due to difficulties with Wings Etc. finding staff.

Burcroff described the violation as an instance of the bartender being stressed and forgetting to ask for ID.

The local board approved Wings Etc.’s permit renewal.

The following permits were also renewed:

• Lassus Bros. Oil Inc., doing business as Lassus Handy Dandy #45, 1900 Plaza Drive, Warsaw. Beer and wine dealer – grocery store.
• Lassus Bros. Oil Inc., doing business as Lassus Handy Dandy #36, 777 Parker St., Warsaw. Beer and wine dealer – grocery store.
• Lassus Bros. Oil Inc., doing business as Lassus Handy Dandy #40, 4987 N. SR 13, Leesburg. Beer and wine dealer – grocery store.
• Nelp LLC, doing business as Milford Party Pack, 314 N. Higbee St., Milford. Beer, wine and liquor – package store.
• Warsaw Wings LLC, doing business as Buffalo Wild Wings, 376 Enterprise Drive, Warsaw. Beer, wine and liquor – restaurant.

The local ATC board’s next meeting will be held at the Kosciusko County Courthouse at 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2.