BUSINESS
had stories that mimicked Harris’ experience locally. Christina Smalley, a 48-year-old mother of three, said she worked through DoorDash for about a year on a part-time basis, averaging eight to 10 hours a week. “I maybe broke even,” she said. “When you look at the amount of money you made, versus what it took in terms of fuel costs and wear and tear on your car, it just wasn’t worth it to me.” A common refrain from the
dining rooms in 2020, Uber launched Uber Eats and started to chomp away at the market share. A big part of the demand is the convenience of it all. People are getting meals, groceries and much more delivered through Door Dash and Uber Eats. For some, time might be more valuable than money. “There are many people who don’t have the time to shop for themselves,” said Santa Rosa
“It’s swinging too far in one direction right now. In Maricopa, you’ve got a large percentage of the workforce that commutes to the Valley and that means a lot of money is still being spent outside that community.” JIM ROUNDS, ECONOMIST
20236 N. John Wayne Pkwy., Ste. 100 Maricopa, AZ 85139
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NOT WHAT YOU EXPECTED
wSprings resident Matt Gordoa. “I’m working a 7 to 12 schedule, and my wife also works a full-time job. Having someone pick up groceries is a great idea.” Elizabeth Ann Reinking said it came down to stress. “I personally try to avoid all
workers who deliver using these apps is that there are too many people lining up for too little work. Kyree Smith said it drove him out of the business altogether. “I used to and stopped,” he said.
When ordering dinner through one of the delivery apps, you might come across a restaurant you’ve never heard of. It’s called the ghost kitchen phenomenon. Virtual restaurants will lease a brick-and- mortar kitchen during hours the restaurant is closed and produce its products under a different name. The most famous example is Mr. Beast Burger, the brainchild of YouTube’s biggest creator, Jimmy Donaldson, better known as Mr. Beast. But it goes a step further. Some of the restaurants rebrand themselves just for delivery apps. Ever ordered a burger from the Burger Den? Or what about a big, oversized sandwich from Melt Down? Even though, in the app, those restaurants look like separate entities, they are Denny’s on John Wayne Parkway. NASCAR Tenders & Burgers operates out of the IHOP restaurant on John Wayne Parkway in the evening hours. In some cases, these spin-offs have higher ratings than the restaurant itself.
“This market is oversaturated, and the pay is terrible eight out of 10 times.” Smalley said when she signed up on DoorDash, there was a wait list for potential Dashers. Eventually, Smalley grew curious about what it’s like to deliver in other areas. “I decided to try my luck in Scottsdale,” she said. “I drove up there and slept on a friend’s couch and gave it a shot. I made way more money up there than I ever did in Maricopa. I made $300 in one night, but my knees were aching from climbing stairs all night to deliver those orders to people living in apartments.” Dylan Farrelly, a 29-year-old security guard, quit his job last year and worked as a DoorDash driver to bridge the gap between jobs.
It’s always busy in Chandler, but not in Maricopa, he said. “I could go up to Ahwatukee or Chandler and in eight hours, I could make $200. But eight hours here wasn’t worth it.” Farrelly said it was a gamble every time he went out there, but the job served its purpose. “I consistently make more money guaranteed at my job now and don’t have to put a ton of miles and gas in my vehicle,” Farrelly said. A day’s wages through DoorDash in Maricopa sometimes totaled just $40, he said. Valencia delivered through Uber Eats, too, but one delivery felt strange. “I was in Phoenix and saw an order come up for Krispy Kreme, and when I got there they handed me one small bag with a pumpkin spice donut,” Valencia said. “I just couldn’t believe that I drove my car a few miles to deliver one donut. I’m a grown man, a veteran, delivering one donut? What is this?” Achieving balance
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shopping in Maricopa, because it seriously gives me anxiety,” she said. “I do pickups or have them delivered.” Harris tried his hand with food deliveries in Maricopa through Uber Eats. “You’re getting about $6 an order and you get about two orders an hour,” Harris said. “So, you’re making $12 an hour. There’s no way you can make a living on that and that’s all before you include gas and driving.” Many DoorDash and Uber Eats drivers told InMaricopa they feared retribution from the Silicon-Valley based companies if they spoke about their concerns on the record. Two people who have long since hung it up as delivery drivers for DoorDash or Uber Eats
Christina Smalley
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TIPS ON TIPPING
tipping delivery drivers and cab drivers has always been custom. For both groups, the standard is 15%. Arthur Valencia, who runs his
own driving service in Maricopa, looks at it through a broad lens. “I’ve had a woman try to tip me $20 one time on a $12 ride,” Valencia said. “I told her,
Christina Dick, who runs a driver and concierge service in Maricopa, said it comes down to understanding the financial pressures the drivers may be experiencing. “I’m paying for gas, insurance, the wear and tear on my car and taxes,” Dick said. “These are all little things that people don’t take into account.” Most importantly, a tip is the best way of saying, “Thank you.” “And at the end of the day, I think it’s just about showing appreciation. It goes a long way,” Dick said.
Jim Rounds, a Tempe economist well-versed in Maricopa and Pinal County, said he feels Maricopa’s economy is in transition and will continue to accelerate over the next decade. But until it achieves
These days, tipping has become a sore subject for customers and service workers alike. Many companies have utilized “guilt tipping” to help offset the costs of paying their employees and it’s caused burnout for some customers who feel they’ve been taken advantage of. But even before the recent madness where every drive- thru, pet salon and even Motor Vehicle Division clerk seemingly has their hand out for a tip, it’s important to remember that
‘That’s more than the ride. You don’t have to do that.”
Valencia didn’t offer a hard and fast rule but said anywhere from $3 to $5 would be sufficient on most trips, unless it’s a longer distance. “If you have 100 trips over the course of a week and everyone tipped you $3, that’s $300. That’s going to make a difference in that driver’s life that week.”
Jim Rounds
balance, there’s either going to be a scarcity of drivers to do the work, or in the work to be done. “It’s a pendulum,” Rounds said. “It’s swinging too far in one direction right now. In Maricopa, you’ve got a large percentage of the workforce that commutes to the Valley and that means a lot of money is still being spent outside that community.”
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InMaricopa.com | March 2024
March 2024 | InMaricopa.com
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