News Category: Community Impact

Grubhub Expands Commitment to Women Culinary Leaders Through Partnerships with World Central Kitchen and Women Business Collaborative in Fourth Year of RestaurantHER

CHICAGO, March 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — In recognition of Women’s History Month, Grubhub is strengthening and expanding its commitment to grow the number of women-led restaurants, especially those impacted by COVID. It was four years ago with the creation of RestaurantHER that Grubhub first started using its technology platform to drive change and respond to the issues facing women in the restaurant industry. The company pledged to champion and support women-led restaurants, raise awareness about inequality in the industry and help improve things for the better.

As Grubhub kicks off its fourth year of RestaurantHER, we’re working with World Central Kitchen (WCK) and the Women Business Collaborative (WBC) to support and help amplify our ongoing efforts for women in the culinary industry.

RestaurantHER comes this year as women have lost the most jobs during the pandemic. In January 2021, women were still down 5.4 million jobs, which makes up 55 percent of total jobs lost. The restaurant industry was among those most impacted by COVID, and a majority of the workforce are women. Before COVID, female restaurant workers (especially owners and chefs) struggled to grow due to lack of sponsorship, funding and even workplace harassment. As a result, there are fewer women at the leadership level in restaurants. And now those numbers are dwindling even further.

“We are hopeful that across the country, RestaurantHER will spark a movement of support for women-owned and operated restaurants,” said Devry Boughner Vorwerk, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Grubhub. “Women restaurateurs are highly capable business leaders in the industry, and they often face barriers that their male counterparts do not. This month, and every month, at Grubhub, we want to shine a light on women-led restaurants and all the benefits these women bring to their communities through their dedication, their creativity and their cuisine.”

Since Grubhub began the RestaurantHER initiative in 2018, we’ve seen talented and aspiring chefs who have been able to succeed in part because of the resources and programs of RestaurantHER. Our incredible partners and diners have played a significant role in helping Grubhub work toward change. We worked with organizations such as the James Beard Foundation and Women Chefs & Restaurateurs to provide grants and tools for female chefs and culinary leaders to navigate and address the specific challenges they face in the industry. Additionally, Grubhub created a RestaurantHER map where diners can find a women-led restaurant near them.

To continue our efforts, Grubhub is supporting World Central Kitchen‘s Restaurants for the People program and specifically restaurants that are women-owned and operated. Grubhub will support these efforts through the Donate the Change program during Women’s History Month, where diners are invited to join us in helping these women. Grubhub’s Donate the Change feature allows diners who opt-in to round up their change on every order. All proceeds will go to World Central Kitchen to provide nourishing meals to help vulnerable communities impacted by the pandemic. Last year, Grubhub diners across the country generously donated a total of $21 million to support various organizations and communities in need through Donate the Change.

“We are grateful for Grubhub’s support and belief in our mission, and recognition that restaurants are a key part of the solution to the ongoing health, economic, and humanitarian crises. Their support will specifically help women-owned and operated restaurants that are a part of our Restaurants for the People program, which pays restaurants directly to help keep their business afloat while also providing tens of thousands of meals to people in need,” said Erin Gore, Vice President of Development at World Central Kitchen.

Grubhub is also excited to kick off a partnership with the Women Business Collaborative, an alliance of more than 44 women business organizations and thousands of individuals who are committed to gender equality in the workplace. Together, we’ll raise awareness and encourage Americans to support local women-owned restaurants throughout the month of March and throughout the year. We’ll also form an advisory board in 2021 composed of female restaurant owners to discuss issues in the industry and ways Grubhub and others can help.

“The time is now for all of us to commit to order from women-owned restaurants and tell the stories of our support in every community across this nation. We are devoted to this effort with RestaurantHER and Grubhub,” added Edie Fraser, CEO of Women Business Collaborative.

World Central Kitchen will also be Grubhub’s donation partner for our popular virtual concert series Sound Bites, which will feature performances by Megan Thee Stallion, Noah Cyrus and King Princess. Fans tuning in will be encouraged to scan customized QR codes that will pop up throughout the show to receive special discounts and Perks, along with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from King Princess. For every QR code scanned at one point during the live stream, Grubhub will donate $1 (up to $100,000) to World Central Kitchen. The free Sound Bites concert will take place on Friday, March 26 at 7 p.m. ET on the Grubhub YouTube channel.

Grubhub’s commitment to support women in the restaurant industry will continue as long as it takes to see equality, and we hope our community of diners will join us by supporting female chefs and owners, and their delicious culinary creations, year-round. Visit the Grubhub app, Grubhub.com or RestaurantHER.com to find a women-led restaurant near you.

About Grubhub
Grubhub (NYSE: GRUB) is a leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace with the largest and most comprehensive network of restaurant partners, as well as over 31 million active diners. Dedicated to connecting 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 over 300,000 restaurants and is proud to partner with over 265,000 of these restaurants in over 4,000 U.S. cities. The Grubhub portfolio of brands includes Grubhub, Seamless, LevelUp, AllMenus and MenuPages.

Grubhub Joining Effort to Cut Out Cutlery

Today Grubhub is officially joining the #CutOutCutlery campaign and committing to dramatically reducing the number of single-use plastics that enter the environment. In the coming months the Grubhub app and website will begin automatically defaulting to zero utensils and napkins with every order. While diners will still be able to request plasticware when needed, the move will generate significant savings for restaurants across the country.

“As we advance sustainable business practices across Grubhub and our industry, this important step will keep millions of unneeded pieces of single-use plastic out of the environment,” Devry Boughner Vorwerk, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, said. “We look forward to building on this commitment to sustainability in partnership with the diners and restaurants who rely on Grubhub every day.”

This action by Grubhub will remove millions of pieces of plastic cutlery from entering the environment annually. According to HabitsofWaste.org, organizer of the #CutOutCutlery campaign, 40,000,000,000 pieces of plastic cutlery end up in the waste stream per year, polluting our oceans and harming sea life. Sheila Morovati, Founder and CEO of Habits of Waste and #CutOutCutlery, has been a key partner to Grubhub as we have worked to develop this important sustainability feature.

“We applaud Grubhub for taking a significant step in dramatically reducing the amount of single-use plastic that ends up as unwanted waste and litter in our communities,” Morovati said. “Our partnership with Grubhub is a stellar example of how a system can be modified to change behavior, ultimately creating a new norm that automatically reduces waste and increases sustainability.”

Beyond the environmental benefits, removing plasticware is also another way Grubhub and our diners can generate cost savings for restaurants at a time when they need it most. Research has found that restaurants can save potentially thousands of dollars annually by reducing how much plasticware they use. The move is an important step in the journey Grubhub is embarking on towards more sustainable business practices.

Grubhub Announces Driver Grant Program Recipients

Back in December, we announced our Driver Grant Program — an initiative that supports drivers who are creating meaningful change in their communities through education, civic engagement, and philanthropic work. Since applications first opened, we received submissions from delivery partners across the country who allowed us a glimpse into their lives and their passions for making a difference within their communities.

We were overwhelmed by the stories that poured in and read countless submissions that touched us — from people serving those less fortunate in their communities, to providing mentorship opportunities and resources for local youth, to drawing attention to the link between deforestation and food insecurity. Every submission had one common theme: our delivery partners have huge hearts and an unwavering drive to help others.

“It was absolutely inspiring to see the many responses and countless examples of valuable work from our drivers across the country. We’re proud that this program will be a stepping stone for drivers who are making positive change within their communities,” said Eric Ferguson, Grubhub’s chief operations officer. “We’re looking forward to seeing all the great things drivers do with these grants and continuing our efforts this year to fund what fuels our drivers.”

Today, we’re excited to announce the first 20 recipients of this program and how they plan to use their $10,000 grants:

Bill R. — Huntington, WV
With this grant money, Bill plans to help upgrade Kiwanis Daycare — which serves low-income children and is the oldest continuously operating daycare in West Virginia.

BriYanna G. — Cleveland, OH
BriYanna plans to use the grant money to build and maintain a website for Ravenella — a marketplace she created for people to support Black-owned fashion lines.

Chad E. — Chicago, IL
Passionate about art, Chad will rent an art studio space to mentor youth in the Chicago area and feed their artistic passions, including graphic design and audio production. He would also like to purchase a screen printing machine and 3D printer so the artists he mentors can make their own products.

Destiny P. — Detroit, MI
Destiny plans to continue her work with local no-kill and animal rescue shelters by funding more reliable transportation for injured dogs and cats so that they can be cared for.

Joanna L. — Pittsburgh, PA
Joanna will use her grant to support Cup-A-Jo Productions — an artists’ collaborative theater she founded that explores non-traditional venues and mixes theatre with film, dance, music and poetry.

Joanne D. — California, MD
Joanne plans to use the grant to purchase additional food for a local nonprofit, S.O.L.D.I.E.R.S OUTREACH — Kids Eat Free.

Judy H. — Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
Using her grant funds, Judy will expand her work to help the homeless population in her area, including increasing her budget to provide more supplies.

Kendal M. — Covington, GA 
Kendal will use his grant to donate and fund additional academic scholarships through The Brother Sister Campaign — a nonprofit organization he founded that’s dedicated to promoting growth and hope to underserved children.

Mary D. — Colorado Springs, CO
Mary plans to use the grant money to fund a retreat for Finding Our Voices — a nonprofit that empowers survivors of sexual assault to thrive by offering creative activities and healing events.

Mike B.  — Birmingham, AL
With the grant, Mike plans to purchase supplies and other resources for his high school students and complete his master’s degree in English.

Musasizi J. — Chicago, IL
Musasizi plans to use the grant money to facilitate campaigns that encourage and educate people to shift from using firewood and charcoal fuels to liquefied petroleum gas in developing parts of the world, where deforestation is impacting food security.

Nicholas S. — Houston, TX
Nicholas plans to expand his personal training and fitness business, including opening a larger fitness facility where he can continue to offer personalized training while also offering a general open space for people looking to train by themselves.

Peter A. — Poughkeepsie, NY
Peter plans to use his grant to support his two communities: Poughkeepsie, New York and Kuna, Kamagambo, Kenya. In Poughkeepsie, he will provide supplies, including winter coats and food, for the local homeless population. And in Kuna, he will work toward building a library and a learning center.

Pousbila O.  — St. Louis, MO
Pousbila will support the African Youth Development Foundation, in addition to helping cover the cost of school registration fees, and health and food plans for vulnerable children in Burkina Faso throughout the school year.

Romel D. — Jacksonville, FL
Romel runs The Jax Tutor —  a tutoring company focused on math, and he’ll use the funds to promote the service and reach more students.

Rosalie J.  — Jeffersonville, IN
Rosalie plans to use the grant money to grow her business that she uses to help fund warm clothing to local children in need and finish paying off her master’s degree in early childhood education.

Simple K. — Virginia Beach, VA
Simple, who runs a mentorship program called Arise Africa, will use the grant money to build a school and buy supplies for the children in his program.

Tameka W. — Evansville, IN
Tameka plans to use the grant to support the Inner City Youth Basketball League for Kids and fund a center for Mother’s Holdin’ It Down — a group she started to connect with other single mothers, share resources and provide support to local families in need.

Terrell B. — Davenport, IA 
Terrell plans to use the grant to establish a community resource for supporting personal and spiritual development.

Theresa N. — Indianapolis, IN
Theresa will use the grant funds to purchase a food truck so that she can feed men and women in her community who are less fortunate and share her ministry with them.

The good news keeps on coming…

Remember how we said we were overwhelmed by the stories from our delivery partners that poured in? There was no shortage of amazing submissions that touched us, and we’re excited to announce today that we’re giving an additional 10 recipients grants thanks to our diners who tweeted their support of our drivers with our #lovedelivered efforts in February. When diners showed their love, we supported the Driver Grant Program with $1 per tweet up to $100,000.

Meet our additional 10 recipients below and read how they plan to use the grant money to drive change in their communities!

Alyssa L. — Bel Air/Aberdeen, MD
A single mom to four kids, Alyssa has a heart for children and a passion for social work. She will use the grant money to continue her education and get a degree in social work.

Imari R. — Chesterfield, MI
Imari plans to use her grant money to launch the Random Love Project—an initiative that will support the homeless population in Michigan through the gifting of free meals and grocery stipends.

Jeffrey J. — Portland, OR
A photographer and filmmaker, Jeffrey finds purpose by connecting those in his community with nature, especially during these challenging times when mental health is so important. An avid fly fisher in his spare time, Jeffrey plans to use the grant money to create an informative video series of the best places to fish in Portland and the surrounding area in hopes other people find enjoyment in the sport as well during these times.

Jillian K. — Seattle, WA
Jillian is the founder of Ginger Gears, a robotics education company that works to combat underrepresentation in the STEAM field. With the grant money, Jillian wants to invest in workshop space for classes, camps and training for Ginger Gears students.

Jonah K. — Detroit, MI
Currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in religious studies, Jonah wants to use the grant money to conduct research about the religious minority communities in the Middle East and Eastern Europe and fund his doctorate degree in the field.

Jonathan M. — Des Moines, IA
With this grant money, Jonathan will pursue his dream of getting a Secondary Education Teaching certificate so that he can teach mentally challenged and disabled children in his community.

Kevin S. — Wilkes-Barre, PA
Kevin will use the grant money to create a permanent home for Diamond City Sports’ youth and adult flag football leagues and renovate their wiffle ball field.

Mohammad D. — Milwaukee, WI
Passionate about cooking, Mohammad will use the grant money to purchase a food truck so that he can spread his love for cooking with others in nearby communities.

Robert H. — Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
With this grant money, Robert plans to get his non-profit that helps homeless veterans off of the ground through marketing and website development so that he can spread its message and reach more people in need.

Timothy C. — Richmond, VA
A middle school counselor, Timothy will use this money to fund programs for students at his school who are interested in STEM.

Check back in the spring for more information on our next round of grants and application details. If you’re interested in driving with us you can learn more at driver.grubhub.com.

Grubhub Invites Diners to Help Celebrate and Support the Black Restaurant Community

Food is at the heart of all communities and cultures, and this month Grubhub is honoring the diverse culinary plates from the Black community. To support and celebrate our many Black-owned restaurant partners, we are working alongside two organizations who have made an incredible impact in this community, Feed the Soul Foundation and Black Restaurant Week, LLC. Feed the Soul, the non-profit arm of Black Restaurant Week, will be the beneficiary of Grubhub’s February Sound Bites concert featuring Anderson .Paak, The Soul Rebels, Big Freedia, Trombone Shorty and Tarriona “Tank” Ball. In addition, we’re unveiling a new search filter, powered by Dine.Black, to help diners discover nearby Black-owned restaurants.

During February, all proceeds from Grubhub’s Donate the Change program benefit Feed the Soul Foundation, which aims to aid marginalized entrepreneurs in the culinary industry with business development resources and support sustainable business growth. They provide business development training, consultation services to improve business operations, and business resources including programming, funding, technology, workforce training and more. Feed the Soul Foundation will use our diner donations toward the following:

  • Multiple $10K grants will go to restaurant owners for business development, such as menu consultation, operations or marketing initiatives.
  • Restaurant emergency funds to support restaurants in the event of an unexpected emergency such as flooding or a break-in. Feed the Soul Foundation will help provide  resources to help restaurants re-open and get back on their feet.
  • Scholarships to marginalized hospitality management college students, creating a pathway to help grow the next generation of restaurant entrepreneurs.

Our Donate the Change feature allows diners who opt-in to round up their change on their orders. Last year, Grubhub diners across the country donated more than $20 million dollars to various organizations and communities in need of support through the same program. Grubhub also matches Donate the Change contributions by Grubhub+ members. We invite more diners to opt-in to Donate the Change and join us this month to help make an impact in supporting the Black culinary community.

Grubhub is also partnering with Black Restaurant Week, LLC beginning with Black Restaurant Week in the Pacific Northwest on Feb. 19-28th. The partnership will promote Black-owned businesses and help local diners discover and support Black-owned restaurants in Oregon and Washington, with plans to continue with Black Restaurant Weeks in major markets across the country.

Feed the Soul Foundation will also be Grubhub’s donation partner for our popular virtual concert series Sound Bites, which will feature performances by Anderson .Paak and The Soul Rebels, with special guests Big Freedia, Trombone Shorty and Tarriona “Tank” Ball. During the live concert, fans tuning in will be encouraged to comment during the live stream, and Grubhub will donate $5 for every comment (up to $100K) to Feed the Soul Foundation. Sound Bites will take place on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. ET on the Grubhub YouTube channel.

Finally, Grubhub is also excited to unveil a new search filter that will help diners easily find and order from Black-owned restaurants in their area. With the help of Dine.Black, this new filter will showcase thousands of restaurants nationwide on the Grubhub platform.

We have a responsibility to do our part in raising up our fellow foodies and that starts with discovery. We invite our diners to join our efforts by ordering from these incredible restaurants while at the same time supporting other culinary efforts. Visit the Grubhub app or Grubhub.com to find a delicious restaurant near you.

Grubhub’s Grant Program Supports Drivers’ Community Philanthropic, Business and Educational Goals

Grubhub is proud to announce its Driver Grant Program to support drivers who are creating meaningful change in their communities. Twenty recipients will receive $10,000 grants that can be used to inspire change in their communities through education, civic engagement, and philanthropic work.

Through the grant program, Grubhub is honoring drivers’ aspirations and supporting the work they do off the road. We hear that our drivers value the autonomy that comes from Grubhub since it allows them to participate in other endeavors, and this program is one way we are able to celebrate and invest in their passions. The program will continue into 2021, with a second grant application period planned to open in the spring.

“Our drivers play a valuable role to serve restaurants and diners across the country, and we’re proud that our grant program is a way to further their personal and professional development and help them drive more change in their communities,” said Eric Ferguson, Grubhub’s chief operations officer. “Knowing that the majority of our drivers deliver for Grubhub part-time to fit into their chosen goals, these grants will give drivers a stepping stone to pursue their broader aspirations, benefitting not only them, but the greater good of their community.”

To be considered for a grant, applicants create a short video or write an essay that outlines how they’ve made a positive impact in their community, how driving with Grubhub fits into their larger mission, and how they’d use the grant to pursue their goals. The application period opens starting December 1 and closes on January 4. Recipients will receive the grant in the first quarter of 2021. Eligible applicants must be active on the Grubhub for Drivers platform for at least 90 days at the time of submission, be in good standing at the time the grant is awarded, and have completed at least one delivery in the last 30 days prior to being selected.

More information on eligibility and how to apply can be found here.

Grubhub And Restaurant Strong Fund Announce New Program To Provide $2 Million In Restaurant Support This Winter

Program offers independent restaurants in Chicago, New York City, Boston and Philadelphia $10,000 Restaurant Winterization Grants

CHICAGO and BOSTON, Nov. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Grubhub, a leading food-ordering and delivery marketplace, and The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund announced the Restaurant Winterization Grant program, a new initiative to provide $10,000 grants to eligible independent restaurants. With indoor dining limited in many cities to combat a resurgence of COVID-19, this financial support will help restaurants prepare for winter, including by helping restaurants address needs for additional infrastructure and equipment to extend outdoor dining, increased personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect their employees, and other necessities to get them through the cold-weather months.

The program will be supported with a $2 million grant recommended from Grubhub Community Relief Fund (GCRF), a donor-advised fund created in March by Grubhub to support charitable organizations helping restaurants, drivers and those in need impacted by COVID-19. Restaurant Strong Fund will also be accepting donations for the Restaurant Winterization Grant program, helping extend the program beyond the initial launch.

“What Grubhub has done already to support thousands of restaurant owners and their employees has been instrumental in helping them make it through work interruptions during the pandemic,” said Greg Hill, Founder of The Greg Hill Foundation.” With this next phase, they will ensure that countless restaurants have a fighting chance to make it through winter. We can’t thank them enough for their initiative and drive to help.”

“This winter will be different than any one before, with the restaurants we know and love needing more support to get through the season,” said Seth Priebatsch, chief revenue officer at Grubhub. “Our partnership with the Restaurant Strong Fund – already instrumental in providing grants for restaurant employee relief earlier in the pandemic – is now responding to the needs of restaurants and providing valuable support to help them survive the challenging months ahead.”

Starting November 9 through November 21, the Restaurant Strong Fund will accept grant applications from all restaurants located in Chicago, New York City, Boston or Philadelphia with five or fewer locations. The application period will close on November 21 and grants will be fully distributed to restaurants before the end of November. Interested restaurants can learn more about the Restaurant Winterization Grant program and the full application process at https://www.restaurantstrong.org/winterize/.

Throughout the pandemic, Grubhub has raised more than $13 million through Grubhub’s Donate the Change program, where diners are able to round up their total at checkout and donate the difference to fund the Grubhub Community Relief Fund. Grubhub matches eligible donations of Grubhub+ members that are opted in to Donate the Change. A snapshot of organizations supported include:

  • Boys & Girls Club of America: Grubhub’s on-going support has helped Clubs reopen their doors across the country, providing a safe environment for parents to bring their children while they are working on the frontlines, whether as healthcare workers, restaurant workers, and delivery personnel. Reopening Club doors supports an array of needs within the community, including helping kids with academics, virtual learning opportunities and providing access to meals for families in need.
  • MEANS Database: Through MEANS Database, Grubhub’s support is used to purchase leftover food from independent restaurants in cities across the country to provide to local nonprofits, including Open Door Missionary Church, World Harvest Food Bank, Common Pantry and Providence Rescue Mission.
  • Rescuing Leftover Cuisine (RLC): With support from the GCRF, RLC purchases meals from Black-owned restaurants that are then donated to food insecure students and their families who need it most. With our restaurant partners also facing hardships due to COVID-19 and reduced in-person dining capacity, this program also provides local restaurants an opportunity to remain active and receive revenue from the meals purchased by RLC.
  • The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund: In addition to the current Restaurant Winterization Grant program, Grubhub also supported the Restaurant Strong Fund’s grant program earlier this year, providing micro-grants to independent restaurants and their employees across the country.

About The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund
The Greg Hill Foundation responds to the immediate needs of families that have been touched by tragedy. Since its inception in 2010, the foundation has provided over $10,000,000 in grants to families and individuals in need. With more than 1 million restaurants in the U.S. employing over 15 million people nationwide the foundation created the Restaurant Strong Fund to be able to assist restaurant owners and employees who have been impacted by Covid-19.

About Grubhub
Grubhub (NYSE: GRUB) is a leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace with the largest and most comprehensive network of restaurant partners, as well as nearly 30 million active diners. Dedicated to connecting 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 over 300,000 restaurants and is proud to partner with approximately 245,000 of these restaurants in over 4,000 U.S. cities. The Grubhub portfolio of brands includes Grubhub, Seamless, LevelUp, AllMenus and MenuPages.

Partnering to Fight Food Insecurity in Our Communities

We have a responsibility at Grubhub to make a real difference by supporting initiatives and organizations that are closely tied to our longstanding efforts to connect diners and restaurants. In 2019, nearly 14 million households in the U.S. were food insecure, meaning they lacked the resources to feed their family members. That number is likely much higher today given the effect of COVID-19 wiping out millions of jobs which has resulted in more than 19 million people suddenly finding themselves without work and a secure income.

We aren’t alone in our efforts, as we have the support of the generous 28 million diners who, through our Donate the Change program, can opt-in to round up their total to the nearest dollar with the difference being donated to a charitable cause or public interest organization.

  • When we first launched Donate the Change in 2018, we teamed up with No Kid Hungry, a national campaign, to help end childhood hunger and have a transformative impact on the lives of millions of kids who struggle with hunger. Since then, we’ve raised more than $16 million dollars for No Kid Hungry through diner donations and Grubhub’s match, which is enough to provide up to 160 million meals to children in need across the country.*
  • In March when COVID-19 started to impact people across the country, we knew we had to act. That’s why we established the Grubhub Community Relief Fund, a donor-advised fund, to support local and national charitable organizations that provide relief for those who have been impacted by COVID-19, including restaurants, delivery partners, and those in need. Since March, we’ve raised $12 million dollars to fund the Grubhub Community Relief Fund and donated nearly 850,000 meals and counting to organizations dedicated to feeding those in need.

From the East Coast to the West and dozens of cities in between, our Grubhub Community Relief Fund efforts have reached communities across the country through the work of these organizations:

MEANS Database and Rescuing Leftover Cuisine donate food from independent restaurants to people in need in their local neighborhoods. Through MEANS Database, Grubhub’s support is used to purchase leftover food from restaurants in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Providence, Las Vegas, Oakland, Denver and San Francisco to provide to local nonprofits, including Open Door Missionary Church, World Harvest Food Bank, Common Pantry and Providence Rescue Mission.

Our support to Rescuing Leftover Cuisine is used to purchase meals from Black-owned restaurants and has allowed the organization to expand its “sponsor a meal” service to Boston. These meals are going directly to nonprofits including the New York City Housing Authority, Neighborhood Coalition Shelter, St. Ambrose Family Shelter, Queens Together, Boston Public School families, Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center, Cambridge Family & Children’s Service and Finex House. To support its Boston expansion and honor Hunger Action Month in September, Grubhub and RLC spent a Saturday delivering locally made meals to those in need in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. Representatives from St. Ambrose Family Shelter, Boston Public Schools, Neighborhood Charter School and State Rep. Liz Miranda were there and helped deliver the food to recipients.

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“As our team at the St. Ambrose Family Shelter adjusted to working through the pandemic, we saw an immediate and exponential increase in need for food, and we began researching ways we could help the communities find additional resources. With the help of Grubhub and Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, we were able to quickly increase our ability to assist more families and individuals, and we have been distributing meals to people daily for the last six months, at times as many as 100 meals per day. We don’t see the need for food assistance decreasing anytime soon, so we are very grateful to Rescuing Leftover Cuisine and Grubhub for their commitment to helping people in need and helping me and my team remain a stable and reliable presence for our communities in these increasingly difficult times.” – Rick Freitas, Director, St. Ambrose Family Shelter

As the birthplace of Seamless, New York is near and dear to our hearts and we’ve partnered with three local organizations whose efforts are specifically focused on feeding vulnerable populations and frontline workers: World Central Kitchen, the Food Bank of New York City and Tacombi Community Kitchen.

World Central Kitchen has activated a network of restaurants and foodservice providers to safely produce individually packaged fresh meals that are delivered to the elderly, schoolchildren, and vulnerable communities across the United States. In Brooklyn, Grubhub’s support allowed World Central Kitchen to pay restaurants for these meals and handled delivery logistics. Additionally, we partnered with Word Central Kitchen for a virtual Sound Bites series in August that featured Lupe Fiasco and UMI. Fans were encouraged to leave a comment sharing their favorite delivery order in the YouTube livestream chat during the performance, and we donated $100,000 ($1 for every comment) to World Central Kitchen to help them support Black-owned restaurants and communities in need.

Providing emergency meals to New Yorkers impacted by the economic downturn and COVID pandemic, the Food Bank of New York City supports more than one million New Yorkers every year through its network of more than 1,000 soup kitchens and food pantries. Our support is used to purchase food to be distributed across the five boroughs. In September, Seamless and the Food Bank partnered to host five pop up food distribution centers at iconic locations in each borough throughout the month of September in support of Hunger Action Month: The Barclays Center, Yankee Stadium, Lincoln Center, Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden and The New York Hall of Science. More than 100,000 meals were distributed to nearly 11,500 New Yorkers in need.

“More New Yorkers are facing hunger than ever before as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With food lines wrapping around city blocks, shining a light on rising food insecurity in NYC was especially important for Food Bank during Hunger Action Month. With so much in the balance for our NYC neighbors, we are so grateful for Seamless’ support in helping us provide meals to everyday New Yorkers struggling to make ends meet.” – Janis Robinson, Vice President of Institutional Giving and Partnerships at Food Bank For New York City

Pivoting from its original mission of supporting community education initiatives in Mexico, The Tacombi Foundation launched the Tacombi Community Kitchen (TCK) to redirect its efforts to provide healthy Mexican meals to New York families most in need in Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan. Our support funded a portion of the distribution of these meals to organizations, including Mercy Center, MASA, Voces Latinas, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Mixteca Organization and LSA.

We’re also providing support to the Boys and Girls Club of America to help reopen their doors across the country. Many members of our community have been able to continue working throughout the pandemic, including restaurant workers and drivers which has brought support to many of us. During this time, many daycares and schools have been closed or limited in the services they are able to provide. The Boys and Girls Clubs across the country provide a safe environment for parents to bring their children while they are working on the frontlines. We have been able to support The Boys and Girls Club of America in more than 35 cities, including: Chicago, Harlem, Philadelphia, Providence, Worcester, Detroit, Sacramento and more. A portion of our support to these clubs reopened the Chicago, Southeast Louisiana, Harlem, Philadelphia and Providence feeding and pantry programs and continues to help cover the cost of meals for the children at these local clubs. With these feeding programs, parents don’t have to worry about whether or not their child will have a meal that day.

We’re committed to giving support and resources to help combat hunger and are grateful we can partner with local restaurants and organizations that have the same dedication and mission. We look forward to continuing our good work in communities across the country.

*$1 can provide up to 10 meals. Meal equivalency varies during COVID-19 relief. Learn more at NoKidHungry.org/OneDollar.

Supporting Restaurants and Communities Through COVID-19 and Beyond

These are uncertain times, and while we can’t predict what tomorrow will bring, we recognize our responsibility to do all we can to help keep restaurant doors open. Our business depends on restaurants like the local coffee shop, the burrito joint, the sandwich place, or that great wing spot. And over the last six months, we’ve seen restaurant owners and delivery drivers fill an essential need in their communities.

Put simply: We’ve made it our mission to support restaurants. That’s why we’re sharing an update on our efforts to help our restaurants and communities during this challenging time.

We spent $100 million to support restaurants, drivers and diners.

It became clear early in the pandemic that restaurants needed our support, first as a bridge to federal aid and then to help them survive this time through delivery and pickup orders. In early May, we committed to funding what we anticipated would be $50 million – from the start of April through the end of June – toward driving orders and keeping communities safe. When June came to a close, we had spent twice that amount.

  • $85 million went to driving more orders to restaurants through coupons we funded, reduced diner fees, and increased advertising. This investment stimulated more than $200 million of incremental sales for our restaurant partners.
  • $15 million went to protecting restaurants, drivers and diners. We sent 250,000 personal protective equipment kits to drivers and recognized their efforts with increased pay and more bonuses. We also provided restaurants with tamper-evident stickers giving peace of mind to restaurants and diners that their food would stay secure and untouched in transit.

We gave restaurants more flexibility.

As a demand-generation engine first and a delivery service second, Grubhub is rooted in products and features for restaurants to drive and fulfill orders in the ways that make the most sense for their business. Our established technologies have never been more important, and we complemented them with new offerings that serve restaurants, drivers and diners.

  • Offered since 2013, online ordering links make it easy for restaurants to add online ordering directly to their website. Grubhub does not charge a marketing fee on these orders because the restaurant generated the demand and they should keep the revenue. We’ve facilitated millions of orders to restaurants through these online ordering links.
  • We power websites, apps, loyalty programs and ordering platforms for restaurants through our in-house agency, LevelUp. These products showcase the restaurant’s brand, enabling them to build loyalty and drive delivery and takeout orders however is best for them. In the coming months, with our Grubhub Direct web product, we will also pilot white-label capabilities for SMBs to reach restaurants that previously didn’t have the resources to devote to a customized direct-order website.
  • Grubhub Ultimate now lets diners place in-person orders from start to finish on their smartphone via a QR code instead of touching a kiosk. We’re extending this feature to SMB restaurants without Ultimate by offering a free, custom window sign that includes a QR code for a contact-free pickup ordering experience without any marketing fees. We’ve already sent signs to hundreds of SMB restaurants.
  • Smart Promotions use data to help restaurants grow their orders. Restaurants use the Grubhub for Restaurants portal to specify goals and a monthly Smart Promotions budget, then Grubhub recommends and implements the most effective promotions for their business. We’ve also matched Smart Promotions budgets, allowing restaurants’ investments in these promotions to go twice as far.
    • We continually put data in the hands of restaurant owners through our Insights Dashboard on the Grubhub for Restaurants portal. The dashboard gives a detailed look at daily and weekly sales, orders, menu item performance metrics and trends, all in one place, with new data points frequently added to the dashboard based on feedback from restaurant partners.
  • We implemented contact-free delivery and curbside pickup to keep our restaurants, drivers and diners safe during the pandemic. Contact-free delivery is the default option for diners at check-out, and restaurants can offer curbside pickup to diners and drivers to prevent groups from gathering in the restaurant.

We dedicated more than $7 million and counting to local communities.

Since 2018, our Donate the Change product feature has allowed diners to support organizations that help those in need across the nation by rounding up their total to the nearest dollar. Our diners have collectively donated over $1 million per month through Donate the Change, enabling our charitable partners to make a big impact.

We established the Grubhub Community Relief Fund to provide financial relief for our community, including restaurant partners and drivers. More than $7 million donated by Grubhub and our diners is going to charitable organizations that support communities impacted by COVID-19. These include:

  • The Restaurant Strong Fund gives direct financial support to independently-owned SMB restaurants and their employees. Our donation goes to restaurants and their employees in Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, New York City and Detroit.
  • MEANS makes it possible to donate food from independent restaurants that would have gone to waste to local emergency feeding services. Grubhub’s donation will be used to purchase left-over food from restaurants in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Providence.
  • World Central Kitchen has activated a network of restaurants and food service providers to safely produce individually packaged fresh meals that are delivered to those in need. Grubhub’s donation paid restaurants for these meals and handled delivery logistics in New York City.
  • The Food Bank of New York City provides emergency meals to vulnerable New Yorkers impacted by the economic downturn and COVID pandemic.
  • The Boys and Girls Club of America offers critical services for young people across the country and much-needed childcare services for essential workers. Grubhub’s donation is supporting the costs of re-opening key childcare centers in New York City.

We also took steps to feed frontline workers through partnerships with Verizon and Hellmann’s Food Relief Fund. Tens of thousands of meals, prepared by local restaurants, were given to healthcare workers in New York City hospitals free of charge. These programs helped both restaurant workers and hospital staff, and leveraged Grubhub’s delivery network to get food from restaurants to the hospitals.

Our work is not done. We’re committed to continuing to add features, products and resources that help our restaurants weather this crisis and support their communities. Restaurants have trusted us as a partner for more than 20 years – we look forward to serving them for the next 20.

Grubhub and Major Cities Across the U.S. Launch Economic Relief Effort up to $100 Million for Independent Restaurants and Delivery Partners Impacted by COVID-19

Mayors of Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, Boston and Portland Team with Grubhub to Suspend Fees from Independent Restaurants
Grubhub Sets up Charitable Fund for Impacted Drivers and Restaurants

CHICAGO, March 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — In collaboration with the mayors of large cities across the United States who are on the front lines of the COVID-19 response efforts, Grubhub today announced it is temporarily suspending collection of up to $100 million in commission payments from impacted independent restaurants nationwide.

Grubhub’s initiative will provide immediate and substantial cash flowrelief to qualified independent restaurants — restaurants that make up the majority of Grubhub’s 350,000+ restaurant community and drive more than 80 percent of the company’s orders.

Matt Maloney, Grubhub Founder and CEO said: “Independent restaurants are the lifeblood of our cities and feed our communities. They have been amazing long-term partners for us, and we wanted to help them in their time of need. Our business is their business — so this was an easy decision for us to make.”

Grubhub has also created a fund that will enable proceeds from its Donate the Change program to go toward charitable organizations that support restaurants and drivers impacted by the COVID-19 health crisis. The program will allow diners to round up the change from every order and donate it to the Grubhub Community Relief Fund — with donations from Grubhub+ (and Seamless+) members matched by the company. Grubhub has been raising more than $1 million dollars per month through Donate the Change.

Grubhub will work with local city officials to identify the organizations that can utilize the funds and to consider other support programs during the pandemic.

“The City of Chicago is deeply concerned about the risk COVID-19 is placing on the health of our residents and communities, as well as the impact it’s having on our working families and neighborhood economies and restaurants,” said Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. “That is why we applaud corporate leaders like Grubhub who are stepping up with practical measures to support small businesses and their employees. Now more than ever, we must work together to ensure hardworking Chicagoans receive the support they need to thrive while also staying safe, secure, and healthy.”

In Chicago, where Grubhub was founded in 2004 and is headquartered today, there are more than 10,000 restaurants on the platform, and thousands of drivers bringing delicious food from these restaurants to hungry diners. This relief fund will provide support for food industry workers, which are anticipated to become among some of the most impacted by the economic losses due to coronavirus and social distancing practices. This includes residents at small, neighborhood-based businesses like Chicago’s Home of Chicken & Waffles, based in Bronzeville.

As dine-in traffic is expected to slow up to 75 percent over the next few weeks, restaurants will rely on pickup and delivery orders to stay in business. “We have seen revenue decrease in the past week as a direct result of our customers staying home,” said Darnell Johnson, owner of Chicago’s Home of Chicken & Waffles. “Grubhub has helped us generate more delivery and takeout orders as our customers’ dining habits have changed. This has helped us continue serving our loyal customers and our employees can continue living a sustainable lifestyle.”

“Banding together during hard times, putting people over profit, and supporting our local businesses is a model we should all follow, and I thank Grubhub for leading the way,” said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“Restaurants are a pillar of the San Francisco small business economy and so important to the culture of this city,” said Joaquin Torres, Director of San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development. “We are committed to doing everything in our power to support them in this time of crisis, but if we want to come through this public health emergency intact, we’ll need more private sector partners to follow Grubhub’s lead, do the right thing and invest locally to mitigate this crisis.”

These initiatives follow a series of measures taken by Grubhub to keep restaurants, diners, and drivers safe during the outbreak – including contact-free delivery and health and safety guidance to drivers, restaurants and diners. Additionally, Grubhub offers pickup from the largest restaurant network in the country, which helps individuals who might feel safer acquiring food on their own.

About Grubhub
Grubhub (NYSE: GRUB) is a leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace with the largest and most comprehensive network of restaurant partners, as well as more than 22 million active diners. Dedicated to connecting 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 over 350,000 restaurants and is proud to partner with more than 165,000 of these restaurants in over 3,200 U.S. cities and London. The Grubhub portfolio of brands includes Grubhub, Seamless, LevelUp, AllMenus and MenuPages.

Grubhub Kicks Off Third Year Of RestaurantHER, Continuing Support For Women In The Restaurant Industry

Funded by the more than $1 million raised by diners during 2019 RestaurantHER, James Beard Foundation announces new platform for women in leadership

CHICAGO, March 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Grubhub, the nation’s leading pickup and delivery marketplace with the largest restaurant network, is continuing its commitment in supporting women-led restaurants during the third year of its RestaurantHER initiative.

Last year Grubhub diners donated more than $1 million to the James Beard Foundation’s women’s initiatives, and in 2020 the organization is putting those funds to work. With the assistance of Grubhub, the James Beard Foundation will be launching a new digital platform to provide women in the industry with accessible resources, substantially broadening its impact beyond the nearly 400 women the program now supports annually. The platform will provide educational guides on financing and best practices for business planning, as well as opportunities for members to network and connect with potential mentors through local community meet-ups and relevant industry events. Grubhub will also continue supporting local restaurant communities through RestaurantHER, encouraging diners to order from the growing, first-of-its-kind map of women-led restaurants, which now features nearly 50,000 restaurants.

“Thanks to partnerships with leaders like Grubhub, we’ve been able to make a positive impact in supporting women-led restaurants in the industry,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation. “We’ve seen women executive chefs grow in representation within the industry, and although we have a long way to go to achieve gender parity, we’re certainly heading in the right direction.”

“Having access to tangible resources like the James Beard Foundation’s programming is invaluable, and extending these to even more women with support from Grubhub is very exciting. The organization’s ‘Owning It’ workshop was incredibly impactful, giving us the opportunity to network and connect with other women in the industry and provided real tools to help define, shape, and better our business,” said Valerie Zweig, co-founder of Prescription Chicken. “From writing down the vision for our companies to hearing from and interacting with varied industry experts and even doing a live pitch to a panel of investors, we left with practical tools that we have already started implementing into our business.”

Since its inception in 2018, RestaurantHER has helped raise awareness about the long-standing issues impacting women in today’s restaurant industry. In a partnership with Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (WCR), Grubhub supported the development of “Sharpen Your Skills,” a toolkit for aspiring female chefs and culinary leaders to help women navigate and address the challenges they face in the restaurant industry. Additionally, Grubhub contributed to WCR’s scholarship and mentorship programs, assisting and connecting over a dozen women in the culinary industry through formal apprenticeships.

“We’re proud to continue our efforts to drive change in the restaurant industry. Gender equality is important to us, and it’s important to our diners, too,” said Jessica Burns, Vice President of Brand Marketing and Creative at Grubhub. “While there’s still progress to be made, women now make up 22% of all chefs and head cooks, a rise from just over 19% in 2017. At the end of the day, we have a responsibility to raise awareness and give a voice to women in today’s industry, and with partners like the James Beard Foundation we’re able to do just that.”

For more information on Grubhub’s RestaurantHER initiative or to check out the map of women-led restaurants, visit RestaurantHER.com. To find out more about the James Beard Foundation’s women’s initiatives, visit JamesBeard.org.

About Grubhub
Grubhub (NYSE: GRUB) is a leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace with the largest and most comprehensive network of restaurant partners, as well as more than 22 million active diners. Dedicated to connecting 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 over 300,000 restaurants and is proud to partner with more than 155,000 of these restaurants in over 3,200 U.S. cities and London. The Grubhub portfolio of brands includes Grubhub, Seamless, LevelUp, AllMenus and MenuPages.