CARMEL, Ind. — The Central DORA Committee voted July 29 to retain the aluminum DORA cup as the default container for alcohol sold inside the city’s Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, approved using a city-issued sticker for unusually sized tasting cups at events, and declined to allow co-branded or promotional logos on DORA cups for now.
The committee’s decisions followed a lengthy discussion about persistent supply-chain delays, vendor responsibility for ordering cups and near-term festival logistics, including Brews on the Boulevard (Aug. 23) and Oktoberfest (Oct. 3).
The decisions matter because DORA rules require alcohol sold inside the district to be served in an approved DORA cup; committee members said unpredictability in cup deliveries has made planning and enforcement difficult. “If a plastic cup will be added as an option, it will provide a lot of flexibility and will really eliminate the majority of logistical difficulties that we’re having with events and ordering of the cups,” Sergei Grichuk of the Office of Corporation Counsel said during the meeting.
Kelly Douglas, a member of the city marketing department, told the committee the city initially distributed a 600-cup box to every new DORA participant but has held back further distributions when suppliers delayed deliveries. “We’ve actually had to hold on giving any of those out because we felt that we didn’t want to create a disruption out in the marketplace,” Douglas said.
Businesses and staff described the supply problems in detail: the committee had been expecting deliveries the week of July 4 and July 11 from two different suppliers, but one vendor informed staff the order would be delayed “another eight weeks.” Cisco (a local distributor) reported it recently brought in 40 cases; staff said that volume might cover roughly a month of current demand but that reorders could take several weeks depending on the vendor.
Committee members emphasized that the responsibility for securing cups falls on the participating businesses. “If I’m the business owner and I sign up for DORA, it should fall on me,” Jeff Blair, owner of Fork and Hill House and a mayor-appointed committee member, said. Committee members agreed they would continue to list vendors (Cisco, GFS and Acorn were discussed) where permittees may purchase cups, but they declined to make the city the ongoing distributor for every permittee’s inventory.
On specific votes, the committee approved three formal items by voice vote: to continue using the aluminum DORA cup while asking staff to secure a primary vendor and at least one backup vendor (motion carried by voice vote); to authorize the use of a DORA sticker on smaller or unusual-size tasting cups for specific events (Jonathan Blake moved; motion seconded and carried); and to prohibit co-branding or promotional logos on DORA cups at this time (motion to disallow co-branding carried).
For the near-term Brews on the Boulevard festival on Aug. 23, staff said they will allocate roughly half a case (about 300 cups) to each of the 11 participating beer and wine vendors from the city’s limited supply so vendors can operate while larger orders are pending. Staff said they will ask Oktoberfest vendors to order in advance, using historical event data to estimate need.
Committee members also asked staff to research whether the city can legally exclude specific events or days from DORA operations (for example, ticketed galas or Wundernacht-type events where multiple nonstandard containers are used). Office of Corporation Counsel staff agreed to research statutory limits and advise the committee; the committee set a follow-up meeting for Aug. 26 at 4:30 p.m. and asked staff to circulate a proposed list of candidate dates/events for exclusion.
Details and clarifications from the meeting
- Supply delays: staff reported orders expected the week of July 4 and July 11 were delayed; one vendor cited an additional eight-week delay. Cisco recently reported 40 cases in stock.
- City inventory and distribution: the city initially planned to give each new DORA participant a 600-cup box but held back distributions during shortages; staff loaned eight boxes to existing businesses and will reallocate a portion to Brews on the Boulevard vendors.
- Unit economics: committee discussion cited per-cup price ranges discussed by vendors during the meeting (examples given at the meeting: roughly $0.33–$0.39 per aluminum cup at higher volumes; a single-case small-order price cited by staff and vendors in the meeting rose as high as $0.83 per cup). Committee members cautioned that metal tariffs and metal-price volatility could change the price.
- Vendor responsibility: the committee reiterated that participating businesses and temporary vendors must order and maintain their own cup inventory; the city will provide vendor contacts and guidance but will not operate as a retail distributor.
- Enforcement and identification: members said the aluminum cup’s distinctive look makes it easier for Carmel Police Department to identify authorized DORA containers; the sticker option for small tasting cups is intended for controlled, event-specific sampling and will be applied by staff.
What the committee asked staff to do next
- Meet with Cisco and other distributors to confirm reorder lead times and stock levels;
- Prepare and circulate a recommended vendor list and updated vendor FAQs;
- Draft a list of candidate events/dates for possible temporary DORA exclusion and research legal authority to implement exclusions;
- Notice a follow-up committee meeting for Aug. 26 at 4:30 p.m.
The committee chair adjourned the meeting after the actions above were recorded.