News Category: Community Impact

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.