Grubhub Survey Reveals 64% of U.S. Workers Call Lunch the Most Important Meal of the Day, Yet Many Are Skipping It Due to Busy Schedules

CHICAGO, May 11, 2022 – A new survey¹ conducted by Grubhub found that lunch breaks are increasingly important to workers, which is especially true in New York City, with 72% of full-time employees calling it the most important meal of the day (compared with 64% of people working nationwide). Despite this, 69% of working New Yorkers admit they have skipped lunch because they were too busy, so Grubhub is helping them reclaim this important meal by giving all of New York City a free lunch on May 17. 

“As one of the most dynamic dining cities in the world, New Yorkers have so many delicious food options at their fingertips when it comes to ordering lunch,” said Ariella Kurshan, Grubhub Senior Vice President, Growth. “As the city’s premier food delivery service, this is just one small step in our larger mission to connect local restaurants with hungry diners. Because being busy never has to get in the way of enjoying lunch.” 

Between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 17, people in New York City can use promo code FREELUNCH at checkout in the Grubhub app for up to $15 off their order subtotal. Plus, Grubhub will be offering an additional $5 off promotion in NYC until May 31 for anyone who missed out. 

And to assist the more than one-in-three (35%) working New Yorkers who say they don’t take a lunch break because their calendars are booked, Grubhub will send anyone in NYC who opts in a calendar invite to remind them to get their much-deserved lunch. The calendar invite, offer terms, and more details about #FreeForLunch can be found here. 

Additional survey findings uncover four-in-ten workers nationally say they take fewer breaks than they did two years ago. Yet, Americans cite that taking time to enjoy a lunch has benefits beyond just satisfying their hunger, in particular:   

• 87% of workers across the U.S. agree they look forward to lunch as a needed break during work, which rings true for Gen Z workers too (86% agree) 
• 50% of New York workers and 47% of workers nationally say that having a true lunch break improves their mental well-being and half (51%) of U.S. workers report lunch makes them feel re-energized and ready to take on the rest of the day 
• More than 1-in-5 (22%) U.S. workers say lunch is the most social part of their day 

No matter how short on time people find themselves, Grubhub is making sure they can always eat with the convenience of fast delivery to their door or allowing them to skip the line by placing an order for pick-up. As always, the Grubhub Guarantee ensures meals are delivered on time, at the lowest price, or Grubhub will provide $5 off the next order.

¹Survey methodology: Representative online survey conducted by National Research Group among n=2,003 U.S. adults 18-44 employed full-time for at least one year (n=1,003 national, n=1,000 NYC DMA). Respondents had to work in an office setting or outside the place of home full-time, or in a hybrid, work-from-home/in-office or on-site environment. NYC DMA respondents had to work in one of the five boroughs. Survey fielded April 26-29, 2022. 

About Grubhub 

Grubhub is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com (LSE: JET, AMS: TKWY), a leading global online food delivery marketplace. Dedicated to connecting more than 32 million diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features more than 320,000 restaurant partners in over 4,000 U.S. cities. 

# # # 

Recommended image to accompany release: