12-15%
of Daru's overall revenue comes from DoorDash
44%
of Daru's DoorDash orders come from new customers, on average
Meet Daru
Located just south of the H Street Corridor in Washington, DC, Daru is a neighborhood restaurant offering Indian-inspired dishes and cocktails, with a Michelin Bib Gourmand Award to boot. From Paneer Pesto Tikka and Pomegranate Aloo to Chai-Teanis, Daru's menu features unique interpretations of Indian staples alongside vibrant South Asian-inspired beverages.
"We want you to feel like you're just walking into our house, and we're here to serve you thoughtful food and drinks."
Co-partners Dante Datta and Chef Suresh Sundas signed their lease and broke ground on Daru in 2019, with plans to open in May 2020. But, like countless other restaurateurs, the two had to postpone the restaurant's launch due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although Daru's opening was delayed by over a year until August 2021, Datta and Sundas have made up for lost time by opening a second South Asian-inspired restaurant. Just blocks away from Daru, they opened Tapori in March 2025 to offer authentic Indian street food and delectable craft cocktails.
Keeping revenue hot in the winter
Opening for business during the summer, Datta and Sundas initially made use of Daru's outdoor patio to serve more dine-in customers and boost revenue. But as temperatures started dropping, so did their ability to seat guests outside. The two needed a way to ensure consistent revenue without the use of their outdoor seating. To tackle this challenge, Datta and Sundas chose to partner with DoorDash to offer delivery and pickup to customers in the area.
Although they initially joined DoorDash to help maintain reliable revenue during the restaurant's first winter, Daru has been part of the DoorDash Marketplace year-round ever since. Today, DoorDash accounts for 12-15% of the restaurant's overall revenue, helping drive incremental value and cover fixed costs like labor. "Even when the restaurant is slower, there are still to-go orders coming in and that helps quite a bit," noted Datta.
"After that first winter on DoorDash, we realized how much business we could get from takeout, and we just kept it going. Having those orders helps a lot with other costs associated with running a restaurant."
In 2024, Daru generated an average of nearly 100 DoorDash orders per month, and $6,800 in monthly DoorDash sales. Their average DoorDash order value is about $70, proving that consumers are eager to experience fine dining food at home.
Today, 12-15% of Daru's overall revenue comes from DoorDash.
Reaching a wider audience
With revenue numbers like that, it's no surprise that Datta and Sundas credit DoorDash with helping their restaurant reach a wider audience. In fact, 44% of Daru's DoorDash orders came from new customers on average in 2024.
Daru also uses DashPass, which helps them reach high-value DoorDash customers who subscribe for $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees. And it's paid off — 82% of Daru's DoorDash orders came from DashPass members in 2024.
"Having DoorDash's customer base has helped us reach a bigger audience. Even if you can't see us in person, you can definitely get our food whenever you want it."
Joining DoorDash has also helped Daru boost customer loyalty, turning delivery customers into dine-in guests and enabling the restaurant's biggest fans to place multiple orders a day.
"I've seen a DoorDash customer order our Mushroom Biryani three times in one day!"
Biryani and beyond
With Tapori now open for business and their continued success with Daru, the future is bright for Datta and Sundas. In the near term, the two are looking forward to testing new menu innovations — including paying homage to Sundas' homeland with Nepalese-inspired dishes. They're also excited to continue being a core part of DC's booming international food scene, and expanding their customer base with DoorDash along the way.
