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Jennifer Goff’s entire business is based off crowds. In 2017, she founded Skip the Line so people could avoid them. What started as an odd-job line-sitting for the popular Game of Thrones Pop-Up Bar–up to six hour stretches—turned into a company devoted to saving you space for trendy restaurants, Supreme Court viewings, Hamilton tickets, and more. But as coronavirus concerns have cleared out the crowds, Goff is “pivoting” like so many others. Skip the Line is now a boutique (contact-free) delivery service that will pick up your restaurant order, shop for your groceries, and drop off your prescriptions.
Unlike other delivery platforms that take hefty cuts of restaurants’ business, Skip the Line isn’t charging restaurants to use its services. Rather, customers pick up the full tab. Takeout fees range from $10 to $12 in DC, depending on distance, and $15 for Virginia and Maryland (with some restrictions). The service will do your grocery shopping at any store and deliver to your door for $40 (or $30 for 10 items or less). You can find more pricing info here. Goff says she’s offering flexible pricing for folks who are unemployed as well as those who are elderly and immunocompromised and may be at greater risk for Covid-19.
Little Serow and sister restaurant Happy Gyro (the veg carryout spot from the Komi team) have listed Skip the Line on their websites as local delivery options. So far, the service has also made pickups from Toki Underground and the Dabney. In all cases, you still have to place your orders with the restaurants directly and get in touch with Skip the Line separately. For groceries, you can take a screenshot of an online shopping cart or send in an old-fashioned list, and the couriers will update you via text while their in the store. The service doesn’t have an online ordering form, so if you want to schedule a delivery text or call 240-459-9556. Payment is all handled electronically.
Goff says she an her team are taking extra safety measures to prevent the spread of the virus:
“I do a lot of the deliveries and pickups myself, and I also stress the importance to my staff to just use hand sanitizer or wash your hands before you head out to pickup the order,” Goff says. “Don’t go through the order—the restaurants do a good job of making sure the order is all set. We drop it off outside your door or your building. And when I am going to the grocery store, I do have a mask that I would use just to take the extra precautions.”
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
