News Category: Restaurants

Grubhub and The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund Launch National Grant for Small Business Restaurants

BOSTON, MA – Grubhub and The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund are pleased to announce more than $1,000,000 in grant opportunities, made possible by the Grubhub Community Fund, to support growth in small business restaurants nationally. The launch marks the fourth year of partnership between Grubhub and The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund. 

On February 20, 2024, The Restaurant Strong Fund will begin accepting applications for the program’s next grant cycle. The Restaurant Strong Fund will focus on providing grants that impact revenue growth and areas including, but not limited to: updating technology/equipment necessary to enhance day-to-day operations, marketing & public relations services, staff training programs, incentivized wages, or maintenance/updating of current infrastructure. 

Restaurants can apply for this grant by providing specific plans outlining how the funding will be utilized and expectations of growth. Grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 will be awarded based on need and growth opportunity showcased in the application. Grants will be limited to single-location restaurants that meet the following criteria:

  • Must be open and operating in the United States (contiguous) 
  • Completed application form 
  • Provide a detailed explanation for the need of a grant and how it would be utilized if awarded 
  • Provide evidence of need 

Applications will be open from Tuesday, February 20, 2024 through Friday, March 15, 2024. A portion of grant funds will be dedicated to new restaurants, those established in 2021 onwards, to aid in their introduction to the restaurant industry. Grants will be awarded to selected restaurants in April.

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 355,000 restaurant partners in over 4,000 U.S. cities.

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 $28 million in grants to families and individuals in need. The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund was established in March of 2020. The fund was created to help aid the Hospitality Industry as restaurants closed and employees were left out of work due to Covid-19. The Restaurant Strong Fund provides various grant opportunities available to Restaurant Employees and Restaurant Owners. 

Startup Catering Service Nude Dude Food Wins a Free Year in a Grubhub Private Kitchen at The Hatchery Chicago®

Grubhub surprised all three private kitchen pitch competition runner-ups with FREE private kitchens at The Hatchery for 6 months each.

Grubhub CEO Howard Migdal and The Hatchery/ICNC Chief Strategy & Incubation Officer Natalie Shmulik with Grubhub x The Hatchery’s private kitchen winners © 2023 Galdones Photography

After an evening that saw four Chicago-based food and beverage entrepreneurs present business plans on how they will grow their restaurant concept and share samples of their food at Grubhub x The Hatchery Chicago’s private kitchen pitch competition, Seth Bradley and Ryan Van Voorhis of Nude Dude Food were named the grand prize winners. The competition took place at The Hatchery, a nonprofit incubator dedicated to fostering successful food and beverage businesses on the West Side of Chicago, during it’s annual fundraiser on Friday, Dec. 1.  

Alongside Bradley and Van Voorhis, Anwar Jebran of Honeydoe Authentic Mediterranean, Earl Moore of Uncle Earl’s BBQ, and Valerie Vedral of The Vulgar Vegan also pitched their business concepts at the competition. Three of our four restaurants currently work out of The Hatchery’s shared kitchen. All  finalists brought unique dishes to the table – the catch was samples had to be presented in delivery-friendly packaging to ensure it would be just as tasty at a Grubhub diner’s house as it would at the restaurant. 

To evaluate our finalists, our expert judging panel was made up of Grubhub’s CEO Howard Migdal, two local chefs and business owners Taylor Mason of Taylor’s Tacos and Krissy Ashley of Cleo’s Southern Cuisine, and Chicago-based food influencer Jeremy Joyce of Black People Eats. Our judges took many factors into consideration when selecting our grand prize winner – everything from how they will leverage delivery as a solution and an opportunity to grow their business to the taste and display of their food. 

The judging panel at Grubhub x The Hatchery’s private kitchen pitch competition © 2023 Galdones Photography

The highlight of the first place prize is one year free access to the Grubhub private kitchen at The Hatchery Chicago. While all finalists were meant to go home with a prize of some kind, Migdal shared a surprise when announcing the winners. Because the remaining three finalists’ presentations and food were equally impressive, they all received what was initially meant to be the second place prize – rent-free access to a private Grubhub Kitchen at The Hatchery for six months. 

“This event celebrated the start of Grubhub’s partnership with The Hatchery Chicago, and our shared mission to help local restaurants build and grow successful businesses means we have a lot of exciting work ahead of us too,” said Dave Tovar, Senior Vice President of Communications & Government Relations at Grubhub. “We know how challenging it can be to get started in the restaurant and hospitality business, and are excited to have the opportunity to support our hometown entrepreneurs by providing all four finalists free private kitchen space at The Hatchery.”

All four of the pitch competition finalists will move into their private kitchens at The Hatchery in early 2024. In addition to the private kitchen space, the finalists will receive wraparound support from The Hatchery and Grubhub, including access to schedule a professional food photoshoot, business review check-ins with the Grubhub team, and more. 

While the pitch competition was a big success, Grubhub’s partnership with The Hatchery is just getting started. In addition to providing all finalists rent-free kitchen space, Grubhub is also developing new educational materials to guide entrepreneurs interested in using third-party delivery to grow their businesses, providing philanthropic support through the Grubhub Community Fund to The Hatchery’s Sprouts Incubation program, and working with The Hatchery to improve the onsite delivery pathways so more entrepreneurs operating out of the facility can leverage Grubhub to expand their business. 

Shmulik and Migdal participating in a fireside chat before Grubhub x The Hatchery’s private kitchen pitch competition © 2023 Galdones Photography

“We are beyond excited to work closely with Grubhub to create more streamlined pathways to success for startup food and beverage entrepreneurs in Chicago,” said Natalie Shmulik, Chief Strategy & Incubation Officer, ICNC/The Hatchery Chicago. “The four private kitchens Grubhub awarded our finalists will be instrumental in helping local brands build viable and sustainable businesses. Congratulations to all of the entrepreneurs!”

As we move into 2024, Grubhub looks forward to seeing this exciting partnership with The Hatchery grow while also finding new ways to support independent restaurant owners and help create new opportunities within the hospitality industry in our hometown. 

The National ACE and Grubhub Award Grants to 82 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander-Owned Small Businesses

LAS VEGAS, NV and WASHINGTON, DC, October 2023 – Grubhub and the National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (National ACE) announced that 79 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI)-owned restaurants were awarded grants of $5,000 – $15,000, made possible with a grant from the Grubhub Community Fund. In addition, three finalists were awarded $50,000 grants each live on-stage at the #AAPISTRONG Annual Conference in Las Vegas on October 13, 2023.

With the industry facing ongoing economic challenges, this funding will allow AANHPI restaurateurs to take their business to the next level through development ideas such as infrastructure improvements, e-commerce and technology, employee benefits, and operations streamlining. Ultimately, this will help AANHPI entrepreneurs to scale their businesses, secure their futures, and also give back to the life of their neighborhoods by fostering safe and enjoyable places to gather.

Shauna & Cornelius Tuilaepa, the owners of No Ke Aloha in Aurora Colorado, shared, “These funds will grant us the amazing opportunity to continue to ensure that our community is represented through the presence of food and culture in Colorado. In expanding our business, we can harness a broader reach to all Pacific Islanders and offer a larger variety of favorites while also growing our workforce and providing jobs to more folks in our community. Mahalo nui loa National ACE, Grubhub, and AAPI Strong for your integral support of the AAPI community!!!”

David Maugaotega, owner of Iced in Chicago, Illinois, shared, “I am so grateful to National ACE for the opportunity and recognizing small business entrepreneurship in the AAPI community. With this grant, I have been given the tools to settle some of the financial debt from my equipment purchases and startup costs of my self-made bakery. This relief will allow me to focus on the bigger picture instead of the day-to-day by investing more in other areas, such as marketing, new equipment, and staffing.”

Rhea Patel Michel, owner of Saucy Chick Rotisserie in Temple City, California, shared, “We are so humbled and grateful for this gift. We are in the midst of opening our very own brick and mortar and were finding ourselves uncomfortably strapped for all the critical opening costs needed: signage, core equipment etc. Additionally, due to delays outside of our control, we are extending our time in which we can start generating revenue. Overhead costs like rent are still due. This is such a needed gift and we can’t thank the organization enough.”

Yanna Guan, owner of Na Na’s Kitchen in Brisbane, California, shared, “Receiving these funds from National ACE would be a game-changer for Na Na’s Kitchen. They will empower us to elevate our culinary offerings, strengthen our community engagement, and lay the foundation for strategic expansion. This support not only secures our business’s future but also enhances our ability to enrich the lives of our patrons and the community at large.”

“Our AAPI-owned restaurants proved their resilience and now are looking to the future,” said Chiling Tong, President and CEO of National ACE. “Grubhub’s ongoing commitment to AAPI-owned restaurants is demonstrated by the continuation of this amazing grant opportunity. The grant support from the Grubhub Community Fund will provide AAPI restaurant owners the opportunity to expand their businesses and reach new peaks.”

“National ACE has been an incredible partner to Grubhub on the AAPIStrong restaurant grant program and working with us on shared business and policy priorities,” said Dave Tovar, Senior Vice President of Communications & Government Relations at Grubhub. “Over the years, this program has supported more than 350 AAPI-owned restaurants across the country to both sustain and expand their businesses. Restaurants play a vital role in their communities, and Grubhub is committed to helping them have a positive impact on the people and communities they serve.”

Full List of Winners:

2d restaurant – Chicago, IL

Adobo – Decatur, GA

Aloha Island Market – Mesa, AZ

Aroy Thai – Chicago, IL

banhkhotlady – Westminster, CA

Bela Vegetarian Restaurant – Northampton, MA

BIG SAI’S HAWAIIAN BARBEQUE LLC – Layton, UT

Bobaloompia – Tyler, TX

Canton Village – Gardiner, ME

Chiu Wu – Midwest City, OK

Cloud and Spirits – Cambridge, MA

Cotra – Brooklyn, NY

Dae Jang Geum – Ellicott City, MD

Dumpling Haus – Houston, TX

East Wok – Orlando, FL

Epic Poke – Austin, TX

Falansai – Brooklyn, NY

Fork & Spoon – Portland, OR

Garden’s Gourmet – Tacoma, WA

Golden Dragon (龙记) – Columbia, SC

Habibi Grill – Salt Lake City, UT

Hao Chi – Baltimore, MD

Hop Bo Chinese – Melbourne, FL

Hot Spots – Denton, TX

Hue Vietnamese Restaurant \ Hue Asian Kitchen – Milwaukee, WI

Iced – Chicago, IL

Island Fiyah Grill – Honolulu, HI

Joyu Tea & Coffee – Virginia Beach, VA

Kabob Stop – Salt Lake City, UT

Kabobi By the Helmand – Herndon, VA

Kai Pops Island Style Popsicles – Spanish Fork , UT

Kandahar Grill – Hicksville, NY

Kin Khao Thai and Sushi – Valparaiso, IN

Korai Kitchen – Jersey City, NJ

KOY – Boston, MA

Krakatoa Indonesian Cuisine – Hollywood, FL

Krapow – Culver City, CA

LAN Hand-pulled Noodles – Seattle, WA

Le Gourmet – Iowa City, IA

Le’s Kitchen – Waco, TX

London Grill & Tavern – Mcallen, TX

Magna Kusina – Portland, OR

Mai’s Deli – Appleton, WI

Milk + Honey – Saline, MI

Muang Thai – Eau Claire, WI

Na Na’s Kitchen – Brisbane, CA

Namaste Cafe – Minneapolis, MN

No Ke Aloha – Aurora, CO

Nomad – Hillsborough, NC

Okonomi Asian Grill – Fairfax, VA

Ono Sushi – Las Vegas, NV

Parachute – Chicago, IL

Parklife – Brooklyn, NY

PB Poke House – San Diego, CA

Pho Saigon 75 – Fairfax, VA

Phuket Thai Restaurant – Redondo Beach, CA

Pink Flamingo To Go – Detroit, MI

Platform Z – Bala Cynwyd, PA

Quick Sub Mini Mart – Trenton, NJ

Ranken Noodle House – Gaithersburg, MD

Roebling Pizza – Brooklyn, NY

Saucy Chick Rotisserie – Los Angeles, CA

Shinsen – New York, NY

Simply Khmer – Lowell, MA

Socola Chocolatier – San Francisco, CA

Steep LA – Los Angeles, CA

Suasday Sandwich Co – Boston, MA

Subo Filipino Kitchen – Chicago, IL

Sunhee’s Farm and Kitchen – Troy, NY

Tang and Java – Woodland Hills, CA

Taste of Pearl LLC – Hillsboro, OR

The Shores Kitchen – Santa Monica, CA

TOKEMOANA’S – San Mateo, CA

Urban Roast – Washington, D.C.

Urbanh Cafe – Chandler, AZ

VietFive Coffee – Chicago, IL

Vui Ve – Los Angeles, CA

What the Fried Rice – Northwood, OH

Wok Star Catering – Encino, CA

Wooly Pig – San Francisco, CA

Yoma Burmese Cuisine  – Allston, MA

YuThaiPa Thai Takeaway – Yucaipa, CA

The Grubhub Community Fund and Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund Provide $750,000 in Grants to Restaurants Nationwide

The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund and Grubhub are pleased to announce $750,000 in grants have been distributed to 117 restaurants across the nation. A portion of grant funds were dedicated to supporting new businesses around the nation as well as restaurants in Chicago and New York City. The program will award $135,000 to Chicago-area restaurants and $125,000 to New York City restaurants. An additional $290,000 will be distributed in other cities across the country to new businesses open for three years or less.

Small business restaurants play an essential role in the social tapestry of local communities by offering unique culinary experiences, fostering connections, and contributing to the economic vitality of our cities and towns. The Restaurant Strong Fund and Grubhub recognize the challenges faced by these establishments and remain dedicated to supporting their journey towards renewal and success. To date, the program has provided almost $17M in grants to restaurants across the nation.

The 117 restaurants selected to receive grants from the Restaurant Strong Fund will be provided with much-needed resources for their small business. These funds will assist in updating technology, updating equipment, marketing and public relations services, staff training programs, staff incentivized wages, maintenance/updating of current infrastructure, and construction or addition of outdoor seating. These restaurants all are small businesses, having only a single location, and are currently operating in the United States.

The 117 small business restaurants receiving grants from the Restaurant Strong Fund are:

$10,000 Grant Recipients

  • Amarit Thai and Sushi Chicago, IL 
  • Aroy Thai Restaurant Chicago, IL 
  • Arslans Gyros San Diego, CA 
  • Bourbon’s Kitchen and Cocktails Framingham, MA
  • Blue Adobe Grille Mesa, AZ
  • China Chef Bistro Phoenix, AZ
  • Classics flowers and Confections Cypress, CA
  • Eighty Eight Eggs Chicago, IL
  • Enso Sushi & Bar Chicago, IL
  • Fat Doughnut Brooklyn, NY
  • Figure Eight New York, NY
  • FishScale Washington DC
  • Granny’s Country Café Visalia, CA
  • Gruit by Abe’s Brooklyn, NY
  • Harvest Café Staten Island, NY
  • It’s All Good: Southern Kitchen Burlington, NC
  • Kickin’ Hot Chicken Chino, CA
  • Kokonut Grill Richmond, VA
  • Krackin Cajun Seafood House Joplin, MO
  • Little Crepe Café Cambridge, MA
  • Lobster Joint Brooklyn, NY
  • Milktopia San Francisco, CA
  • Okonomi Asian Grill Fairfax, VA
  • Parlor Kitchen Orlando, FL
  • Pharaohs Mediterranean Sandwiches   San Francisco, CA
  • Red Pig Asian Kitchen Chicago, IL
  • Sage Alley Brewery & Grille Coopersburg, PA
  • Sweet Pit BBQ & Seafood Hampton, GA
  • Sweetly, Shealy Camilla, GA
  • Tango Mango Inc Newton, MA
  • Thai Café Downers Grove, IL
  • The Grove Beverage Café Petoskey, MI
  • Warren HQ Philadelphia, PA

$5,000 Grant Recipients

  • 1308 Chicago Chicago, ILK
  • Amir’s Falafel Studio City, CA
  • Antonio’s Deli 2 LLC Philadelphia, PA
  • Baba’s Original New York System Providence, RI
  • Bailey Seafood Buffalo, NY
  • Bella LuLus Corp Jamaica, NY
  • Bellancino’s Pizza & Grinders Findlay, OH
  • Blue Fez Inc Salem, MA
  • Bo’s Schnitzelbunker Village of Pewaukee, WI
  • Brauhaus Schmitz Philadelphia, PA
  • BuenoMalo Andover, MA
  • C’s Waffles Titusville, FL
  • Café Gigu East Boston, MA
  • Caribbean Soul Kitchen Los Angeles, CA
  • Channel Islands Juice Company Ventura, CA
  • Charlies Creole Kitchen Dallas, TX
  • CheSa’s Bistro & Bar Chicago, IL
  • Dao Thai Restaurant Chicago, IL
  • Domy Pizza Bronx, NY
  • Echigo Home Cook San Francisco, CA
  • El Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant New York, NY
  • Feng Cha Las Vegas, NV
  • Fryers Roadside Silver Spring, MD
  • Georgia Soulfood Chicago, IL
  • Greenwich Pita and Grill Mason, OH
  • Hue Chicago Chicago, IL
  • Ivy Kitchen Detroit, MI
  • Johnny’s Taphouse and Grill Tarpon Springs, FL
  • Juicy Tails Fayetteville, AR
  • KOY Boston, MA
  • Kusanya Café Chicago, IL
  • La Guadalupe Restaurant Corp New York, NY
  • Lan Hand-Pulled Noodles Seattle, WA
  • Le Sud Chicago, IL
  • Lindsey’s Hospitality House and BBQ North Little Rock, AR
  • Loyola Pizza Los Angeles, CA
  • Luna Pizza Longwood, FL
  • Mad Bulldogs Hot Chicken Los Angeles, CA
  • Marbabellos Pizza Philadelphia, PA
  • Marcela Cocina Mexicana Brooklyn, NY
  • Margon Restaurant New York, NY
  • Master Shin Korean Plate San Jose, CA
  • Mexicali Sushi Bar East Boston, MA
  • Mr Chi Boba & Tea Las Vegas, NV
  • New Berlin Brewing Company North Canton, OH
  • Nkasso Food Allentown, PA
  • Izakaya Noname Long Island City, NY
  • Nu Crepes Elmhurst, IL
  • Oscar’s Kitchen Corp Bronx, NY
  • Paleo Treats Inc San Diego, CA
  • Pate Palo Bar and Grill New York, NY
  • Pega Grill Miami, FL
  • Pho Hana Diamond Bar, CA
  • Pippilocca/Il Passatore Asotria, NY
  • Pizzeria Rustico Boston, MA
  • Poke Bowl Tropical Atlantic City, NJ
  • Pub 6T5 New Bedford, MA
  • Queeni Kabobs Rancho Cucamonga, CA
  • Real Thai Cuisine Cranberry Twp, PA
  • Ristorante Ideale San Francisco, CA
  • Royal Thai Chicago, IL
  • Seven Bar and Restaurant Chicago, IL
  • Shawarma Grill Portland, OR
  • Shawarma Shack Chesapeake, VA
  • Southern Belle Atlanta, GA
  • Spring Asian Cuisine Spring TX
  • Star of Siam Chicago, IL
  • Straycat Kitchen Pasadena, CA
  • Sugar Wood New York, NY
  • Sushi Coast Webster, TX
  • SUteiShi Japanese Restaurant New York, NY
  • Tandy’s Pub & Grille Concord, NH
  • Tealicious Lincoln Park Chicago, IL
  • The Black Whale Bronx, NY
  • The Cupcake Parlor Clarksboro, NJ
  • The Jersey Spot Pizza and Pasta Kissimmee, FL
  • The Soul Spot Restaurant Brooklyn, NY
  • Tiparos Thai Cuisine & Sushi Bar Chicago, IL
  • Urban Vegan Chicago, IL
  • UThai Rego Park, NY
  • Vinateria New York, NY
  • What’s the Dill Detroit, MI
  • Winnie’s Manayunk Philadelphia, PA
  • Zhivago Restaurant  Skokie, IL

For more information about The Restaurant Strong Fund and its commitment to supporting the restaurant industry, please visit www.restaurantstrong.org

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 $28 million in grants to families and individuals in need. The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund was established in March of 2020. The fund was created to help aid the Hospitality Industry as restaurants closed and employees were left out of work due to Covid-19. The Restaurant Strong Fund provides various grant opportunities available to Restaurant Employees and Restaurant Owners.

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 365,000 restaurant partners in over 4,000 U.S. cities.

Grubhub Revamps Ultimate Kiosks

Back in 2020, we launched our Ultimate kiosk technology, a first-of-its-kind proprietary hardware and software solution that integrates all restaurant ordering channels into one system. Error-prone handwritten scribbles and shouts were replaced with a digital workflow solution that connects the front- and back-of-the house directly with diners, creating a transparent view into their order status.

Today, we’re excited to announce that we’ve given Ultimate a facelift by way of new hardware, powered by Elo Touch, and payment processing and card readers powered by FreedomPay. You can read more about the updates in Campus ID News.

Grubhub Expands Services to Restaurants With On-Demand Delivery

Self-delivery restaurants can now request Grubhub Delivery in real time

CHICAGO, Sept. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Grubhub, a leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery platform, announced today that it is offering a new product feature, On-Demand Delivery. This service gives self-delivery restaurants on the Grubhub Marketplace the option to request a Grubhub delivery driver to facilitate the last-mile logistics on a per-order basis whenever needed. 

This feature is currently in pilot in markets across the country, including Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, D.C., Seattle, Chicago and Denver. Previously, restaurants couldn’t toggle between self-delivery and Grubhub delivery, but with the new automated feature, they can switch between both options on orders. Restaurants in the pilot program that use Grubhub delivery will be charged a flat delivery fee of $5 per order.

“Whether a restaurant could use extra support to keep up with demand during peak hours or cover for a driver who called in sick, we want to give restaurants even more help to run their business and deliver a great experience to customers,” said Liz Bosone, vice president of restaurant success at Grubhub. “We’ve heard from our restaurant partners that they welcome the convenience of this feature and like having alternate fulfillment options that don’t require hiring additional staff. We’re proud to add this feature to our suite of tools and services.”

On-Demand Delivery joins the suite of services that Grubhub offers its restaurant partners, including Supplemental Delivery, which allows self-delivery restaurants to expand their delivery boundary and reach more diners with the help of Grubhub drivers. For more information on Grubhub’s delivery services, please visit here.

About Grubhub
Grubhub is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com (LSE: JET, AMS: TKWY), and is a leading U.S. food ordering and delivery marketplace. 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 more than 365,000 restaurant partners in over 4,000 U.S. cities.

 

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Order Frequency Insights Added to Grubhub for Restaurants Portal

Back in May, we introduced three updates within the Grubhub for Restaurants (GFR) portal to drive more value to our restaurant partners that help them grow their business: Customer Insights, Self-Serve Refund Requests and Self-Serve Photoshoot access. Building on the Customer Insights tool where restaurants can filter their sales and order metrics by new or returning diners and Grubhub+ or non-Grubhub+ customers, we’ve added Order Frequency Insights within GFR. With these ordering insights, restaurant owners now have visibility into how often their customers are ordering from them. 

To get started, users select the “Insights” tab in GFR and can then view customer order frequency history from the last 90 days within the Customer Insights page. They can segment customers out by new or returning diners and Grubhub+ or non-Grubhub+ customers. Further highlighting the value of their Grubhub+ customers, restaurant owners can view their average number of orders per Grubhub+ customer and their most loyal customers, defined as those who rank in the top 10% of their order volume. And to drive action, users can click the links at the bottom of the page to view more details on how to run promotions and loyalty programs.

“Our restaurant partners leverage Grubhub as an acquisition tool to attract new customers, build relationships with these customers, and drive retention. They’ve been asking for more tools that help them do all three,” said Liz Bosone, vice president of restaurant success at Grubhub. “With our latest addition of Order Frequency insights within the Grubhub for Restaurants portal, we’re providing our partners with tools and data that will empower them to not only understand who their most loyal customers are, but how to best engage with them to drive more frequent ordering.”

To stay up to date on the latest updates in GFR, visit here.

Grubhub Spices Up New York City With First-Ever Hot Ones Delivery Pop-Up

The hit YouTube series will give fans in New York City the opportunity to taste Hot Ones’ famed wings and hot sauces via a new pop-up virtual restaurant exclusively through Grubhub

New York, NY June 29, 2023: Can you handle the heat? On the heels of the milestone 300th episode of First We Feast’s Hot Ones featuring John Mulaney that dropped today, Grubhub is inviting New Yorkers to take the hot seat with the launch of the first-ever Hot Ones delivery pop-up. In partnership with First We Feast and powered by Mealco, the exclusive pop-up will give diners in select locations across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens the opportunity to get their hands on the show’s famous spicy chicken wings and hot sauces starting today, June 29th.

Only through Grubhub can New Yorkers experience Hot Ones at home via menu items tossed in the famed fiery sauces. The menu features diners’ choice of delicious 6-piece or 12-piece wings, in addition to righteously spicy crispy chicken or plant-based chicken sandwiches, coated in sauces tested by A-list stars during the current season of the show. The spicy lineup of hot sauces fans can taste include:

  • Los Calientes™ Rojo: Spicy and tropical! 
  • The Classic™ Chili Maple: The perfect balance of sweet and heat.
  • The Classic™ Garlic Fresno: Garlic and Fresno chili get the party going!

Diners can savor a full meal by making it a combo with french fries and their choice of drink. For those that may need help turning down the heat, the Hot Ones pop-up menu also features an Apple Fritter topped with sweet milk for dessert. 

“We’re fired up to bring the first-ever Hot Ones pop-up and delivery experience to diners first in New York City,” said Liz Bosone, Grubhub’s VP of Restaurant Success. “The opportunity to deliver the impressive cultural fandom of Hot Ones directly to fans’ front doors through this collaboration is just another way Grubhub is committed to making moments more joyful with delivery.”

The special Hot Ones delivery pop-up in NYC celebrates eight years and 300 Hot Ones episodes featuring hot questions and even hotter wings with host Sean Evans on First We Feast with guests such as Julia Louis Dreyfus, Pedro Pascal and Margot Robbie. Grubhub is the first delivery partner to introduce Hot Ones’ virtual restaurant. 

“First We Feast is excited to bring the Hot Ones experience directly to our fans in NYC through our pop-up delivery with Grubhub to celebrate the 300th episode,” said First We Feast General Manager Chris Schonberger. “For years, fans have asked to try the iconic Hot Ones menu for themselves, and we can’t wait to bring the heat straight to their doors through our collaboration with Mealco’s virtual restaurant technology for this epic milestone.”

Menu items are available for a limited time each day while supplies last for delivery only in select locations across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Diners in those locations can check out the full Hot Ones menu via Grubhub. Expanded locations to be announced soon. Hours of operation vary per location. 

About Grubhub
Grubhub is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com (LSE: JET, AMS: TKWY), and is a leading U.S. food ordering and delivery marketplace. 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 more than 365,000 restaurant partners in over 4,000 U.S. cities.

About First We Feast
Founded in 2012, First We Feast views food as an illuminating lens into pop culture, music, travel and more through its innovative slate of food-driven video franchises. Part of Complex Networks, First We Feast’s YouTube channel is home to flagship series, including but not limited to Hot Ones, The Burger Show, Feast Mansion, Tacos Con Todo, Gochi Gang, and Coneheads, which drives a community of 12 million highly-engaged subscribers and over 2 billion views to date. With a thriving eight-figure commerce business, First We Feast launched hot sauces, Truth or Dab The Game, a footwear collection with Reebok, “Hot Ones: The Game Show” on truTV, and much more. First We Feast’s slate of original programming has garnered numerous awards and nominations, including an Emmy nomination for “Hot Ones”; multiple Shorty Awards; the 2020 and 2019 Webby Award for Food & Drink; and the 2014 James Beard Award for Best Food Blog.

About Mealco
Founded in 2019 by Daniel Simon, Mealco is a technology platform dedicated to democratizing the restaurant industry. Honored by Time’s Best Innovation of 2022, Mealco seamlessly bridges the gap between the world’s top creators and their passionate fans through its proprietary technology and growing network of restaurants.

The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund & Grubhub Distribute $1.25 Million From The Restaurant Strong Grant

BOSTON, MA – The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund and the Grubhub Community Fund are pleased to announce $1.45 million in grant opportunities have been distributed to over 130 restaurants across four cities.

On Friday, June 16th, The Restaurant Strong Fund announced the recipients of the 2023 Restaurant Strong Grant. This grant provided restaurants the flexibility to utilize the funds in a manner that best suited their individual needs. Please see enclosed list of all restaurant recipients.

Grants ranged from $5,000 to $25,000 were awarded depending on need and growth opportunity showcased in the application. The program aimed to alleviate financial burdens and assist these establishments in adapting to the changing landscape of the restaurant industry. Recipients were able to allocate the grant towards providing opportunities that impact revenue growth and giving areas including, but not limited to: updating technology/equipment necessary to enhance day-to-day operations, marketing & public relations services, staff training programs, incentivized wages, or maintenance/updating of current infrastructure.

The Campaign will be limited to restaurants that have only one location with 50 employees or less within Boston, Chicago, New York City and Philadelphia. A portion of grant funds were dedicated to supporting diverse, women owned, minority owned, and LGBTQIA+ owned businesses.

The Restaurant Strong Fund remains committed to making a positive impact in the communities it operates in, and the successful completion of the 2023 Restaurant Strong Grant is a testament to that commitment. By supporting local restaurants in New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago, The Restaurant Strong Fund aims to contribute to their growth, helping to restore the vibrancy and resilience of these remarkable cities.

ACCEPTED RESTAURANTS

Boston

$25,000
Blunch, MDAB LLC DBA, Mo’rockin Fusion, Reunion BBQ, Tawakal Halal Café

$10,000
Caffe Dello Sport, Cafe Iterum LLC, Casarecce Restaurant, Sufra Mediterranean Food, Sunset Cantina

$5,000
Basile – Fine Italian Kitchen, Brassica Kitchen and Cafe, Bukowski Tavern, Chickadee, Crispy Dough Pizzeria, LA Hacienda Restaurant, Paddy O’s of Boston, Samurai Express Japanese Restaurant, Seabiscuit, Villa Mexico Cafe

Chicago

$25,000
Boulevard Bistro, Bubble & Brew, Decadent Dessert Bar & Bistro, Dear Margaret, Dirty Tiffs Cafe, Imani’s Original Bean Pies, New Orleans Seafood Inc, Smack Dab Chicago, Tasty World Restaurant, Toro Sushi

$10,000
Baba Pita, Bocadillo Market, Drew’s on Halsted, E Ramen, Herb, Irenes, Kizin Creole restaurant, Krung Thep Thai Cuisine, Kubo, MFK., Standard Bar and Grill, Tacotlan, Twilight Kitchen, Uncle Ben’s Grill, Wild Blossom Meadery

$5,000
8A5E LLC, Ambers Food Cafe, Elevate Coffee, Evelyn’s Food Love, H&C POUR HOUSE, Indgo MRKTO, John’s Place, La Flor de Acapulco, La Michoacana Del Panda Inc, Luke’s Italian Beef, Mable’s Table, Mei’s, Mom’s Place – A Chicago Gathering Spot, Pho Loan, Port and Park Bistro, Side Practice Coffee LLC, The Cafeteria, The Comedy Clubhouse, The Jibarito Stop, Yummy Buffet

New York

$25,000
Abe’s Corner, Blu Room Bar & Lounge, Casita of Brooklyn, Concrete, Filly Luv, Miss American Pie, Ricas Pupusas & Mas, Royale, The Ryerson, Tiramisu Restaurant

$10,000
Benemon, Blueline Fry Plantain, Coffee Bay Restaurant, Come on Thai, Saigon Spice, Everything Grilled, J’s On The Bay, Kin Khao Thai, L and Z Bakery Inc, Nneji, Shogun Japan, The Daily Press Coffee House and Bar, The Halal Spot, Winemak’her Bar, Xe May Sandwich Shop

$5,000
7 Elephants, Aji Sushi House, Circo’s Pasty Shop, DokoDemo, Ethel & Annie Mae’s Soulfood Kitchen, GLACE, Italian Touch Pizza and Pasta (Staten Island), Karazishi Botan, Kombit Restaurant, L’arte della Pizza Brooklyn, Little Chef Little Cafe, Ouaga Sports Bar, Orange Caribbean and Grill Restaurant, Ortomare Ristorante Pizzeria, Palenque Colombian Food, Sze’s Garden Inc, Thailicious, The Bad Bagel, Therapy Wine Bar 2.0, Whisk & Whiskey

Philadelphia

$25,000
Ani’s Pizza Pasta and Wings, Crust Vegan Bakery, Daaiyah’s Delicious, Mawn, New Hong Kong Bakery Inc

$10,000
At Ramen MNYK, Cicala at The Divine Lorraine, Glory Beer Bar & Kitchen, In & Out Grill, New Wave Cafe, Newman’s Grill, Pizza Dot Com in Germantown, The Trestle Inn

$5,000
Antonio’s Deli, Cake Life Bake Shop, Cairo Kitchen on the Go, Farina Pasta and Noodle, Golden Crust Pizza lll, Sulimay’s Restaurant, Strangelove’s, Southwark, The Igloo

New Features in Grubhub for Restaurants Portal Help Restaurateurs Grow Their Business

When it comes to running a business, we know how important it is for restaurateurs to easily understand all facets of their operations. That’s why we originally created the Grubhub for Restaurants (GFR) portal — a place where restaurateurs receive orders through Grubhub, see their order and sales volume, run promotions, rate drivers, adjust their menu and hours and more. As restaurateurs demand more from their partners, we continuously make improvements to GFR to account for their feedback and make sure we’re providing a valuable tool for our partners.

Today, we’re excited to announce the latest updates to GFR. These were developed based on feedback from our partners, including the request from restaurateurs to segment out order and sales volume by audience, automatically request refund adjustments and easily request a photoshoot as their menu changes. 

“We want the Grubhub for Restaurants portal to be an all-in-one platform for our partners, and we’re excited to roll out new tools and insights to help them reach their business goals,” said Liz Bosone, vice president of restaurant success at Grubhub. “Satisfaction with Grubhub from our partners is incredibly important to us, and we believe that improvements like these drive incremental day-to-day and long-term value to our partners. We’re committed to continuing to address feedback from our partners and add more features to GFR that provide even better service to our restaurants.”

Customer Insights

Restaurants value providing exceptional service to their customers since they know it keeps them coming back, and in order to best serve them, they need to know how they behave. Our partners have asked us for more insights into their customers, and we’ve listened. Now, restaurateurs will see a tab within GFR labeled Insights. Within that tab, they can navigate to Customer Insights and filter their sales and order metrics by new or returning diners and Grubhub+ or non-Grubhub+ customers. 

With this addition, they can select up to a full year of aggregated data at a time and compare sales and order metrics. As a result, they are able to better understand their customers’ ordering behaviors and can strategically adjust their marketing efforts on Grubhub accordingly. This is just the first iteration of insights that we’ll be adding to GFR. As we continue to receive feedback from our partners, we’ll continue to build on this feature. 

 

 

Self-Serve Refund Requests

We always aim for things to go right during deliveries, but when things don’t go as planned — whether that’s because a drink got spilled, an item was missing or something else — it’s not clear to our partners who is on the hook for the refund — us or them. Now, restaurateurs can automatically request an adjustment directly in GFR to dispute a refund. This was previously a manual process requiring them to chat or call into Grubhub Care. This new automatic process now cuts the time spent disputing refunds from 10 minutes to 1 minute. 

Restaurateurs can dispute a charge up to 30 days after the original order date, and all they have to do is click into the specific order ID, hit the “Dispute adjustment” button and select a reason for the dispute. Once they submit a dispute, an agent will look into the refund and respond within 24 hours. With this update, we’re doing right by our partners and giving them back valuable time that they can spend running their businesses and serving customers.

 

 

Self-Serve Photoshoot Access

Having images on a menu can lead to 70% more orders and 65% higher sales for our partners, and to help drive higher photo coverage and quality on menus, we’re increasing how often we present our partners with the opportunity to book a photoshoot in the GFR portal. 

We know that menus change often, especially seasonally, and with that comes the need for different photos. Today, we’re updating the opt-out experience so that restaurateurs can snooze the banner for 30 days after they first select the “I’m not interested” button. The banner will return every 30 days after an opt-out and every 90 days after a booking. Our goal with this update is to better understand our partners’ needs and provide them with flexible options that support their business objectives.

 

To stay up to date on the latest updates in GFR, visit here.