The LCBO has put its partnership with SkipTheDishes on hold after it was asked to do so by the Ontario government.
“Following direction from the Ontario government, LCBO’s partnership with SkipTheDishes is paused until further notice,” the company said in a statement on December 6th.
“We are proud to continue offering a safe in-store shopping experience and our expanded Same-Day Pickup option and will continue to look for new ways to increase choice and convenience for our customers.”
The LCBO launched the partnership with the delivery service on December 4th. The partnership faced backlash from restaurants that are partly relying on the sale of alcohol through takeout and delivery to pay their bills.
Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips said in a tweet that he and Premier Doug Ford asked the LCBO to pause the partnership to show support for restaurants.
“Restaurants have been hit hard by COVID, so we are supporting them, including by allowing them to sell alcohol w/ take-out & delivery. Restaurants still need our support, so Premier @fordnation & I asked LCBO to pause their recently announced delivery plans with Skip the Dishes,” he tweeted.
Under the partnership, SkipTheDishes planned to start on-demand delivery to customers starting with 15 stores in Toronto. Customers would have been able to order wine, beer and spirits from their local stores.
SkipTheDishes said in a statement that it “respects the decision of the Ontario Government and remains focused on supporting our restaurant partners.”
Source: LCBO
