Newsroom Archive Archives

New Grubhub Partnerships Aim to Make Delivery Worker E-Bike Usage Safer, More Sustainable

The E-Bike Lifecycle safety program will provide NYC delivery workers access to more than a thousand safety certified JOCO e-bikes, support FDNY Foundation educational campaign

Grubhub announced today several new initiatives aimed at creating a safer, more sustainable environment for delivery workers that utilize e-bikes in New York City, including a pilot program with JOCO, a leading delivery e-bike rental platform founded in New York City in 2021. The JOCO partnership will provide at least 500 delivery partners free access to more than a thousand safety certified e-bikes, as well as more than 55 JOCO hubs for continuous safe e-bike storage, battery exchange and distribution of delivery rider gear.

Grubhub is also working collaboratively with City leaders, the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), and industry partners to advance the safety of the entire e-bike lifecycle. Key initiatives include a $100,000 grant from the Grubhub Community Fund to the FDNY Foundation, an organization working to spread awareness and education about safe practices for using lithium-ion batteries.

“Delivery workers are essential to thousands of communities and businesses, including Grubhub’s, and helping to ensure their safety – and the safety of all New Yorkers – is a top priority,” said Amy Perlik Healy, vice president of government relations at Grubhub. “These new partnerships are an expansion of our ongoing work to address safe use of e-bikes and handling of batteries by delivery partners, and we will explore any reasonable means to prevent tragic fires from occurring in the future.”

Beginning mid-June 2023, select Grubhub delivery partners will receive JOCO credits they may use for partial day, daily or weekly e-bike rentals. The initial program will allow Grubhub and JOCO to gather learnings that will inform the companies’ long-term approach to creating a safer e-bike ecosystem for delivery workers. Grubhub will also sponsor a JOCO rest stop hub for delivery workers, beginning in June.

“Our cutting-edge platform provides gig workers and businesses with instant access to certified e-bikes without any initial investment,” said Jonathan Cohen, JOCO co-founder. “We’re delighted to partner with Grubhub in extending our services to a wider delivery community while ensuring secure charging facilities. As we celebrate Earth Week, we’re thrilled to stay committed to our mission of reducing the number of cars and trucks on the road for last-mile delivery.”

JOCO utilizes proprietary, fireproof battery charging cabinets that have been tested at a nationally recognized testing laboratory, each with its own fire safety extinguisher. JOCO’s batteries are certified to IEC 62133 standard, one of the most important standards for exporting lithium-Ion batteries into global markets.

“We know that micro-mobility devices are here to stay, and the FDNY is constantly exploring best practices for how to use them safely,” said FDNY Foundation Executive Director Jean O’Shea. “We are grateful for the support of industry partners like Grubhub for helping us spread the important messages of safety and prevention surrounding lithium-ion batteries.”

As Grubhub’s E-Bike Lifecycle safety program continues to evolve, the company is in active discussions with partners to establish a battery recycling program to take-in non-certified devices.

Grubhub is eager to continue working with NYC leaders, FDNY, and industry partners to address this issue by spreading public awareness and directly communicating with delivery partners about safe e-bike use, while preserving access for the delivery workers who rely on them and tackling the clear need for better charging infrastructure. Learn more about Gruhbub’s current and future driver safety initiatives 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.

About JOCO
JOCO is the first end-to-end platform that enables gig workers and companies to seamlessly use light electric vehicles (LEVs) for last mile delivery. JOCO’s high tech platform and LEV infrastructure network removes all the hassle of owning, storing, charging and maintaining a bike. JOCO has a strong social mission, having already helped thousands of couriers and companies complete millions of deliveries without any upfront investment. With carbon emissions and congestion at an all time high, JOCO is on a pursuit to bring cleaner air to the world and remove cars and trucks off the streets for last mile delivery. JOCO is currently operating in NYC, Chicago and Miami. JOCO was Co-Founded by Jonathan Cohen and Jonathan A. Cohen (no relation).

About FDNY Foundation
The FDNY Foundation is the official not-for-profit organization of the Fire Department, established in 1981 to promote Fire Safety and to fund professional development, training, and education programs. FDNY Foundation supports FDNY in protecting lives and property of those who work, live and visit New York City through its various programs that provide new equipment, training and support for all FDNY members.

Grubhub’s ‘Serving the City’ Program Expands to Company’s Hometown of Chicago to Provide Meals to Communities in Need and Help Close the Hunger Gap

This expansion builds on Grubhub’s larger community impact commitments to kick off the new year

CHICAGO, Feb. 27, 2023 — On Tuesday, February 21st, Grubhub officially launched the expansion of its ‘Serving the City’ program to Chicago, the company’s hometown. The program kicked off with its first event at three senior centers in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood, a historically under-resourced community on the city’s west side, in partnership with 24th Ward Alderwoman Monique Scott and local restaurants, Soulé and The Soulfood Lounge.

With the Serving the City initiative, Grubhub partners with local aldermen to purchase 500 hot, prepackaged, culturally appropriate meals directly from local restaurants for onsite meal distribution events at housing authorities, senior centers, veterans’ residences, and other community-based organizations. The program further allows Grubhub the opportunity to act on its commitment to support local restaurants and give back to communities that need it most.

“The impact of this project is important to me because it addresses the food insecurities we have with our seniors, and having the opportunity to feed them during a time when they possibly can’t do it for themselves. I’m so excited to let them taste delicious food from fine dining restaurants that exist within their community. Many of them are on a fixed income and might not take advantage of dining outside of their own kitchen,” said Alderwoman Monique Scott.

*Soulé, one of the first sit-down restaurants in North Lawndale in decades, partners with Grubhub’s Serving the City program*

Following this kickoff event, the program will continue to run throughout the year with the goal of partnering with restaurants and delivering meals to communities in need across Chicago’s 50 wards in partnership with local aldermen.

“I came from a family that inspired my love of cooking and taught me the importance of community. When I opened my restaurant, Soulé, I knew I wanted to make a difference through food. In partnering with Grubhub’s Serving the City, I’ve been able to give back and drive change in my community through what I love to do most,” said Bridgette Flaggs, owner of Soulé in North Lawndale. Soulé is one of the first sit-down restaurants that has opened in North Lawndale in the last decades – a neighborhood historically considered a food desert.

Last year, Serving the City launched in New York City to help address food insecurity and support local, independent restaurants. The program aims to address the lasting effects of the pandemic and the increased cost of food with inflation that has impacted communities and restaurants in cities nationwide. Since July 2022, this initiative has served more than 17,500 meals to food insecure families in partnership with 40 restaurants, with the goal of serving more than 25,000 meals to communities in New York City alone.

“It’s exciting for Grubhub to kick off our Serving the City program right here in Chicago. After the impactful year we had serving meals to communities in New York City, we knew we could make a real difference in our hometown and give back to the city we call home. We’re looking forward to expanding across Chicago to help as many people and restaurants as we can,” said Dave Tovar, Grubhub SVP of Communications and Government Relations.

According to Northwestern University economists, one in five households in the Chicago metro area experiences food insecurity, including one in four families with children. As Grubhub expands the program to address the needs of its home city, it’s continuing to prioritize alleviating food insecurity in communities in need. Beyond Chicago and New York City, Grubhub also plans to expand their program nationwide as part of a larger commitment to help close the hunger gap. Grubhub‘s other focus areas for the year ahead include supporting independent restaurants and creating opportunities for people in the hospitality industry.

*Chicago Alderwoman Monique Scott partners with Grubhub’s Serving the City program*

For more information about Grubhub’s Serving the City and other community impact programs, visit https://about.grubhub.com/community/programs/.

# # #

About Grubhub

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

Grubhub Celebrates $22 Million to Communities Nationwide in 2022

Proud to drive meaningful change through partnerships with more than 34 nonprofit organizations and continue expanding impact in 2023

By Dave Tovar
SVP Communications & Government Relations

Last year marked an important evolution in Grubhub’s philanthropic efforts. As the food service industry reset post-pandemic, we had the opportunity to rethink how we support the people and communities where we operate. We followed through with the philanthropic commitments made in 2021, and we added new partners, resulting in more than $22 million going to support more than 350 communities across the country.

Our new vision includes three focus areas: supporting independent restaurants, working to close the hunger gap, and creating more opportunities for people in the hospitality industry. In 2022, 87 percent of our philanthropic resources supported this work. We are continuing to evolve as we enter 2023, partnering and supporting collective action on issues that face our industry and the communities in which we operate. Taking key learnings from existing partnerships, we continue to prioritize impact and identify new ways that we can not only direct philanthropic support, but also leverage our business to drive meaningful change.

Grubhub's National Impact 2022

As we start a new year, I want to highlight some of the impactful work happening in communities across the country, including:

Supporting 34 national and regional nonprofit organizations* facilitating work in our three focus areas through the Grubhub Community Fund. These partners make up a network of more than 400 organizations providing access to essential needs like food, access to capital, and access to opportunities to drive mobility and impact.
Addressing the growing hunger gap caused by food insecurity and distributing 527,902 meals and 2.8 million pounds of food through 14 nonprofit partnerships funded by the Grubhub Community Fund. Even better, more than 70% of the food distributed came from food recovery programs which means it would have otherwise gone to waste.
Providing an additional 17,500 meals purchased from local independent restaurants to serve families and individuals living in housing authorities, senior centers, and veterans’ residences in 35 districts across the five boroughs of New York City through our Serving the City program.
Granting 20 drivers with $10,000 each to make a positive impact on their community.
Amplifying the impact of our employees and matching 432 employee donations to local nonprofits across the country.
Aiding in rapid response through the Grubhub Community Fund, which provided $1,250,000 in Ukraine support to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and World Central Kitchen and providing $100,000 in support to Bronxworks, Inc. to help 120 families re-establish housing following the devastating Bronx fire. We also provided $25,000 in aid to Feedmore Western New York as they worked to provide support to the communities devastated by the mass shooting in Buffalo, NY.

More than ever, we are focused on what it means to make a difference and drive impact as we execute against our new vision. The stories of the individuals, families and communities impacted by our efforts continue to inspire us, and I would like to share some special stories with you.

Supporting Independent Restaurants

Creating access to capital and business development opportunities for local, family-owned businesses is at the core of our goals for independent restaurant-focused philanthropic support. In addition to our continued relationship with the Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund, we also partnered with diverse business organizations to drive programs and opportunities for AAPI-, Black-, Hispanic- and LBGTQ+- owned restaurants. These efforts, supported by the Grubhub Community Fund, have helped local independent establishments close gaps in payroll, replace broken equipment and update kitchens, and market their spaces. This also includes providing winterization grants which enabled 70 restaurants in New York, Chicago, Boston, and Philadelphia to adapt to the colder months and expand outdoor areas. For example:

Elena Barcenes of Rincón Salvadoreño is the proud owner of New York City’s first Salvadorean Restaurant serving the community since 1980. Elena’s restaurant is family-owned and operated, and they were hit hard in recent years. She used the Grubhub grant to keep her staff employed during the lean months and shared, “I have fought my hardest to keep my doors open. I am a minority woman fighting to contribute to society by offering jobs and serving our Jamaica Community”.
Zachary Lucchese-Soto of Bluebird Café in Chicago is using the Winterization funds to keep his patio open during the frigid weather. The patio is the restaurant’s lifeblood and accounts for 50% of their overall seating and by keeping it open year-round, his business can thrive no matter the weather conditions.

Already in the works in 2023, we are supporting 130 new winterization grants and continuing our partnerships with our diverse business partners, prioritizing equitable access to opportunity across the programs we support.

Working to Close the Hunger Gap

Since the launch of Donate the Change in 2018, allowing diners to round up their total to the nearest dollar at checkout and donate to charitable causes, we have worked to identify partnerships and initiatives focused on closing the hunger gap across the country. In 2022, we successfully expanded our efforts by not only supporting the direct distribution of ready-to-eat meals and groceries to individuals and families in need, but also narrowed in on identifying new opportunities to drive impact. Collectively this resulted in more than 545,000 meals, 2.8 million pounds of food, and geographic expansion of the food recovery programs we support. Our newest endeavor leverages our ordering platform to provide those experiencing food insecurity access to meals through our partnership with Bento.

We’ve also embarked on new ways to support collective action. In June 2022, we launched our Serving the City program in New York City. Through this program, Grubhub works in tandem with local restaurants and New York City Council members to address food insecurity, positioning us to understand specific needs in the community and then partner with local restaurants to purchase and provide culturally-appropriate meals where they are most needed. In 2022, we purchased 17,500 meals which were provided to individuals and families living within housing authorities, senior centers, and veterans’ residences in 35 districts across the five boroughs of New York City.

Councilwoman Julie Menin, Chair of the City Council Small Business Committee, and Grubhub purchased 500 meals from family-owned restaurant Mansion Diner and distributed them to area residents at The Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center. Councilwoman Menin noted that “This is an excellent partnership between community leaders, small businesses and an online food ordering company. By partnering with our local restaurants, Grubhub is truly committing dedicated resources to combating hunger in New York City.”
Councilwoman Linda Lee joined Grubhub to deliver 250 meals to seniors at Commonpoint Queens in Little Neck and homebound seniors at Deepdale CARES NORC. Following the visit, Danielle Ellman, CEO of Commonpoint shared, “With more than one in 10 seniors facing food insecurity, programs like these are literally saving lives by getting healthy meals to our most vulnerable. Thank you to Grubhub and Council member Lee for their support in helping older adults age with dignity.”

Creating More Opportunities for People in the Hospitality Industry

Supporting those working within the hospitality industry, especially our delivery partners, remains a focus for Grubhub. In 2022, we kicked off a second year of grants to directly support our delivery partners looking to drive meaningful change in their communities. The recipients of our Driver Grant Program continue to do amazing work in their communities. For example, our New York City driver, Galliano, used his $10,000 grant to support youth in his community by providing them with school supplies and nutritious before-and-after-school snacks to help keep students engaged in learning. Chicago based driver, Symone, is also using the grant to support two local nonprofit organizations, Nourishing Hope and the Telpochcalli Community Education Project. Symone is an active member of the Telphochalli Community education fund, which mobilizes youth for social justice work by building individual capacity and mutual responsibility through culturally relevant and community-directed education. She’s also using a portion of the grant to continue her own schooling.

Additionally, the Grubhub Community Fund supported several new partnerships focused on job training, job placement and work that champions removing barriers to opportunity within the hospitality industry via collective action. To date, we have partnered with The Hospitality Project, Momentum Advisory Collective, and Women in Hospitality United. As our newest focus area, we know there is more work to be done and we look forward to identifying new opportunities where we can expand our impact.

Looking Ahead

As we look ahead to 2023, we’re focused on creating more impact in the communities we serve, in ways Grubhub is uniquely positioned to do. We believe in supporting independent restaurants to positively impact communities, using technology and our network to help close the widening hunger gap, and creating opportunities in the hospitality industry.

*See here for a full list of the 34 Grubhub Community Fund partners awarded a grant in 2022:

ACE Foundation
Bronxworks Inc.
East Central Illinois Refugee Mutual Assistance Center (The Refugee Center)
Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago
Feed the Soul Foundation
Feedmore Western New York
Food Bank for NYC
Greater Boston Food Bank
Greg Hill Foundation – Restaurant Strong Fund
Heartland Human Care Services, Inc.
Hospitality Project Inc
JCFS Chicago (HIAS)
Junior League of Kansas City Mo Inc.
Madison Square Boys and Girls Club
MEANS Database
Momentum Advisory Collective (Cafe Momentum)
NGLCC Foundation
Nourish PHX
Nourishing Hope
Piatt Family Foundation
Plant Powered Metro New York
Queens Center for Progress
Rescuing Leftover Cuisine
Star House Foundation
Tacombi Foundation
UNHCR (The UN Refugee Agency)
Union League Boys and Girls Club of Chicago
US Black Chambers CEDC
Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens
Women in Hospitality United
World Central Kitchen
World Relief Chicago
World Relief Quad Cities
Youth Guidance

The Grubhub Community Fund is a donor advised fund at a national sponsoring organization. The Grubhub Community Fund is made possible through donations from our customers through our Donate the Change feature. Grubhub matches contributions on eligible orders from our Grubhub+ members.

Why Price Controls Are Bad For Restaurants

Originally Posted on 07/16/2021
Updated on 8/24/2022 to include data showing depressed growth for restaurants impacted by price controls

Grubhub was founded in Chicago in 2004 to help restaurants grow. Since then, we have worked hard to build a business that generates more orders for restaurants at a low cost to them, helping make even the smallest independent restaurant competitive with much larger establishments that have enormous marketing budgets.

While the general idea behind price controls is that they enable restaurants to access delivery, marketing and other services at artificially low prices, the actual impact is far different. Price controls create strict limits on what local restaurants can do to promote their business, find new diners, engage regular customers and send more orders out their doors.

That is why we continue to fight price controls in court. We complied with them during the pandemic, effectively conveying hundreds of millions of dollars to restaurants as they were forced to close their doors to dine-in customers. Now, many cities, including Philadelphia, Seattle and Minneapolis, are shifting toward reasonable compromises: in San Francisco, we recently withdrew our litigation after the city passed an amendment to its cap allowing restaurants to opt into rates higher than 15 percent if they chose additional services. Unfortunately, others – including New York City – have so far let strict permanent caps remain in place.

Understanding How Grubhub Helps Restaurants Grow

Grubhub provides delivery services to restaurants that opt to use them, but the heart of Grubhub’s business — and the value we bring to restaurants — is the marketing support and visibility we provide to increase orders for restaurants. And that is how our fees are structured — to give restaurant partners options so they can find what works best for their particular business.

Restaurant partners that use Grubhub Direct or our Direct Order Toolkit products have powerful tools to grow their businesses without any marketing fees.
Restaurant partners that opt to use the Grubhub Marketplace to generate orders from our network of 32 million diners select a negotiable marketing package that generally ranges from 5 to 15 percent per order based on the level of marketing and support that makes sense for their business.
Restaurant partners that choose to use Grubhub’s drivers (vs. their own, in-house delivery staff) to complete orders pay Grubhub a market standard delivery fee.

We spend hundreds of millions of dollars in marketing annually to generate orders for our restaurant partners. In fact, in New York City prior to the pandemic, thousands of restaurant partners opted into some of these services that offered them more marketing options—with many of them opting to pay Grubhub more than 15 percent of the order price. When all of the costs and expenses of running our business are accounted for, we make approximately 1 percent of total food sales as profit — and that was before temporary price controls significantly impacted our ability to operate a profitable business.

The services Grubhub provides are akin to what companies like Google offer to promote small businesses. Or at a more basic level, we are similar to a company that sells billboard space to the local hardware store. Grubhub gives independent restaurants access to promotional ability that was previously unavailable to them because of the expertise and scale required.

Permanent price controls eliminate our ability to offer many of these services to restaurants, because the cost to our business would become too high.

Restaurants Impacted by Price Controls Are Getting Left Behind

In June 2021, one year after New York City first implemented a cap on commissions for third-party delivery apps, Grubhub’s data showed that restaurants impacted by that policy were not participating in the city’s post-pandemic economic recovery at the same rate as other businesses.

In fact, restaurants impacted by the cap – in other words, those whose contracted rates with Grubhub were adjusted down in order to adhere to the new regulation – saw their order volumes grow at just 6 percent over that year. Meanwhile, restaurants not impacted by the price control, or those whose contracted rates were already at or below the 15 percent threshold, saw their orders grow nearly 75 percent faster, at a rate of almost 80 percent.

While surely an unintended consequence of its legislation, the New York City Council’s choice to make price controls permanent has hurt the very restaurants, including small and family-owned restaurants, that it intended to protect. That’s because independent restaurants, unlike large chain restaurants which have their own resources, often rely on platforms like Grubhub for marketing and promotions. Price controls have limited the accessibility of those services.

The effects of the price control trickled down to hurt both Grubhub’s drivers and restaurants’ own drivers, as well. While tips for restaurants and drivers grew by nearly 60 percent between June 2020 and 2021, restaurants that were impacted by the cap and drivers who deliver from these restaurants saw no significant growth in tips, likely because orders to those restaurants grew just slightly.

Ultimately, price controls are exactly the wrong thing to do when restaurants need more support, visibility and order volume than ever. Grubhub serves restaurants, and we will always stand up for them and work hard to protect their ability to grow and thrive.

Supporting the Safe Spaces that Restaurants Create for the LGBTQ+ Community

In 2021, $2.1 Million in Grants, made possible by the Grubhub Community Fund, supported LGBTQ+ and Allied Restaurants and Establishments

By Justin Nelson, Co-Founder & President of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce

Bars and restaurants have long served as safe spaces for historically marginalized LGBTQ+ people. However, the COVID-19 pandemic made it increasingly difficult for these independent restaurants and bars to stay in business.

Thanks to support from the Grubhub Community Fund and Grubhub diners through its Donate the Change program, NGLCC distributed nearly $2.1 million in grants to over 100 LGBTQ+ and allied restaurants in 2021. To help ensure we reached a wide range of grant applicants, we partnered with over 30 LGBTQ+ Affiliate Chambers across the country who shared the opportunity within their respective communities.

Building on last year’s success, we are continuing our partnership with Grubhub in 2022 with the support of a $2.1 million grant from the Grubhub Community Fund. This year, we will focus the restaurant grant program on LGBTQ+ and allied restaurants and establishments in New York City, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Denver, and Portland, as well as cities throughout California.

The gratitude expressed by last year’s grant recipients was extremely heartwarming and reminds us why the work we do is so important to the LGBTQ+ community. And, equally as important, why continuing the work is a high priority.

Penny Baldado, Owner of Cafe Gabriela in Oakland, California

“As a trans-masculine and queer, immigrant person of color, I’ve worked hard and put all my love and energy into building a beautiful and welcoming space in Café Gabriela. I’ve remained resilient through COVID and this grant is the injection of funds that we need to continue along our journey to full recovery.”

David Perruzza, Owner of League of Her Own and Pitchers DC in Washington, D.C.

“Building community in a fun and safe place has been our mission since the very beginning. We’re relieved and thankful for these funds. This grant literally saved my business, and I can’t thank Grubhub and NGLCC enough for that reality. We are looking forward to more stable days ahead.”

Joy Crump, Founding Partner and Chef at FOODE + Mercantile in Fredericksburg, Virginia

“The past 19 months have been some of the most challenging in my career. Restaurant people are resilient people, but we are forever changed, and these funds are crucial as we continue to evolve with new technologies and tools to help us compete in this new normal.

Helping the LGBTQ+ business community thrive is core to who we are at NGLCC, and partnering with organizations like Grubhub, who shares our mission to help these independent businesses thrive, helps that mission become reality.

To learn more about Grubhub’s Community Impact programs, click here.

About the Author

As Co-Founder and President of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), Justin Nelson has the privilege of representing the LGBTQ+ business community and overseeing the largest LGBT economic advocacy and business development organization in the world. NGLCC has over 50 LGBTQ+ affiliate chambers in the United States representing America’s 1.4 million LGBTQ+ business owners.

Helping Communities Heal and Making Restaurants #AAPISTRONG

Grubhub and others play a vital role in getting financial support to independent Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)-owned businesses across the country

By Dr. Karen Eng, President and CEO, CSMI and Board Chair, National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (National ACE)

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we heard all too often about how restaurants across the country were hit hard. However, AAPI-owned businesses in particular faced unique challenges, including heightened racism triggered by the pandemic’s association with Asian countries. It’s always been the role of National ACE to build a bridge between AAPI-owned businesses and the communities in which they operate. Now, this work has taken on renewed importance. We work closely with partner Chambers of Commerce and businesses throughout the country, including Grubhub, to strengthen our programs and expand our reach.

I am extremely grateful for our partnership with the Grubhub Community Fund (GCF) in 2021, and am thrilled to share that we have renewed and deepened our partnership for 2022.

Thanks to support from the GCF, National ACE’s 2021 AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund supported 196 restaurants across the country with grants of up to $10k each. Grant winners reported the funds being used for crucial operating costs, such as rent, employee paychecks, purchasing PPE, renovations, new equipment, establishing a digital e-commerce presence, and marketing and technology updates.

Building on last year’s success, GCF will contribute $2.5M to National ACE as the grant program expands in 2022. This year, grants will support independent AAPI-owned restaurants nationwide with grants ranging from $25K to $100K.

The numbers are impressive, but what really highlights why partnerships like this are so important is the feedback we hear from the small business owners in need of grant support. The 2021 winners represent the wonderful and diverse restaurants and businesses we’ve been able to impact directly.

Tim & Joni Navarra, Owners of East Market and Goods in Waco, Texas

“There is no Asian grocery store within 90 miles of our city, Waco. And so there’s also a lot of flavors that are missing, especially when it comes to Korean, Filipino, Malaysian and Thai…So for most people during the pandemic, they don’t have to go over 90 miles to feel like they’re at home to get the little things. [The fund] will allow us to stay open and continue to share these flavors.”

Khaled Ramadan, Co-owner of Sunrise Middle Eastern Deli in San Francisco’s Sunset District

“The fund will keep our staff employed at their normal hours and normal hourly wage without having to decrease their hours or change their schedules. Whatever is left over, we will have to use it on our rent….”

“You guys have been a lifesaver for us.”

Jason Angeles, Co-Founder of Churreria in San Francisco, CA

“AAPISTRONG is a reflection of the Asian American community, we flood to support each other and stand in solidarity during tough and rough times. This grant helps us with the ongoing transition period from ‘shelter in place’ mindset to the ‘fully opened economy’. This middle ground has been tough on the businesses. We need to get to fully opened to really survive.”

Saki Melius, Owner of Kyu Ramen in Denver, CO

“I really appreciate it. [The funds] were so helpful. Thank you so much… [I’m] using it to cover part of the rent and the labor cost. The beginning of the month is a little difficult because all the payments happen at once. So, the fund that we receive will go to that.”

Nu Ice and Drink, Houston, TX

“In 2010, Nu Cafe opened its doors to the public. We started off as a full-fledged restaurant with rice and noodle dishes, along with drinks and shaved ice. We were one of the first and original food establishments to serve authentic Snowflake Ice in Texas. People flocked from all over Houston, Dallas, Austin, and even other states to try our Nu Snowflake Ice, food, and creative drinks.”

Companies like Grubhub help us achieve our mission to advocate for AAPI business interests, and to stand up for and effect change in our community. We can only be successful in this work by having strong relationships – with the AAPI community, coalitions and leaders at the community level, and with partners like Grubhub and supportive, like-minded organizations. We’re motivated by the success we’ve seen to date, and we’re energized by the amazing opportunities that lie ahead.

To learn more about National ACE or to apply for the 2022 grant program, visit the National ACE website here.

And, you can learn more about Grubhub’s Community Impact programs here.

How Grubhub is Fighting Food Waste & Food Insecurity

While food insecurity is rapidly rising, the world is expected to waste 2.1 tons of food a year by 2030, according to Yale research. In the United States alone, $408 billion was spent on food in 2021 that was never eaten. That’s nearly a quarter of U.S. food going to waste instead of to those who need it.

Today, on Stop Food Waste Day, Grubhub is doubling down on its calls for Congress to pass the Food Donation Improvement Act (FDIA), which would strengthen existing laws for food donations, help prevent food waste, and provide relief directly to the millions of Americans who are experiencing food insecurity.

Alongside WW and other partners, Grubhub has been a leading backer of the Food Donation Improvement Act. Our vice president of government affairs, Amy Healy, recently joined Food Tank’s “Food Talk” podcast to discuss the role of the private sector in combating food insecurity – and why the government needs to make it easier for companies to donate food.

As Amy explains, the Food Donation Improvement Act is an essential step toward bringing all businesses – not only large corporations, but also independent businesses, such as Grubhub’s restaurant partners – into the fight against food insecurity.

The Food Donation Improvement Act would build upon the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, which passed in 1996 to encourage companies to donate their surplus food and grocery products to nonprofits by providing civil and criminal liability protection to food donors and food recovery organizations. However, many food manufacturers, retailers, farmers, and restaurants still cite fear of liability. Expanding and clarifying existing liability protections for food donation is crucial to ensuring that companies can donate safe, quality foods, without a preventable concern about litigation.

Grubhub continues to meet with offices on both sides of the aisle to generate support for this legislation and to solicit additional cosponsors, with the hopes of the bill being included in upcoming relevant legislative packages.

We are also doing as much as we can right now to fight food insecurity and reduce waste, in hopes of inspiring our partners and competitors to do the same. Grubhub has donated millions to organizations like Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, a food rescue non-profit headquartered in New York City that is purchasing meals from minority and women-owned restaurants that are donated back into the community to food insecure families. We’ve also given to the MEANS Database, which with Grubhub’s donation is purchasing leftover food from restaurants in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Oakland, Philadelphia, Providence and San Francisco and donating it to underserved communities in need.

Grubhub Community Fund donations to these and other related organizations – including via our diners through our Donate the Change program – totaled more than $2 million in 2021, and we’ve recommitted to those partnerships for the year ahead.

It’s time for America to modernize its food donation laws so we can reduce waste while getting food into the hands of those in need.

Grubhub Releases Annual Year in Food Report Detailing the Top Trends of 2021

See what Grubhub trends reveal about our eating habits, the restaurants that served us, and the positive impact the Grubhub community has made this year
CHICAGO, Dec. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The end of the year is near, but before we say goodbye to 2021, we’re rewinding to see how we ate and drank our way through another year of change. Grubhub, a leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace, today released findings from its annual “Year in Food” report. Grubhub analyzed orders from over 32 million diners to see what rose in popularity throughout the year while highlighting Grubhub diners’ generosity and how they gave back to communities and restaurants in need. In addition, diners will receive their personalized “Taste of 2021” recap to get a glimpse of their favorite cuisines, menu items, and order habits throughout the year. Grubhub diners can also visit the Taste of 2021 website to browse trends and win an exclusive deal for their next order.

The Impossible cheeseburger is this year’s top food of the year!

TOP ORDERS OF THE YEAR

2020 was the year of comfort foods, and 2019 was full of vegetarian-friendly orders, and 2021 gave us a mix of both! The Impossible cheeseburger rose to prominence, increasing 442% in popularity, providing diners with a healthier version of an iconic food staple.

Impossible cheeseburger (+442%)
Shredded pork taco (+310%)
Apple pecan chicken salad (+287%)
Detroit-style pizza (+263%)
Margarita (+240%)
Pub mac and cheese (+174%)
Pork dumplings (+173%)
Chicken burrito (+166%)
Poke nacho (+158%)
Lettuce wrap (+155%)

Side Dishes: chips and your favorite dip were the perfect complements to a good meal.

Chips and pico de gallo (+205%)
Stuffed garlic knot (+174%)
Mac and cheese (+173%)
Cornbread (+171%)
Chips and queso (+155%)

Dessert: a blend of delectable classics and delivery staples proved to be the most popular.

Strawberry shortcake sundae: (+378%)
Cookie dough cheesecake (+315%)
Chocolate chip pizza (+287%)
Cookie dough burrito (+255%)
Flan (+244%)

Fun Fact: A diner purchased 200 bacon cheeseburgers in one order! Why?! That’s for you to guess.

TOP ORDERS BY MEALTIME

Breakfast: early birds ordered traditional favorites to start the day.

Sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich
Long john donut
Chorizo breakfast burrito

Lunch: a mixed bag of trendy foods and a seasonal favorite.

Birria taco
Clam chowder
Impossible burger

Dinner: familiar foods were ordered after a long day.

Burrito bowl
Cheese pizza
Beef sliders

Late night: night owls flocked to Hispanic foods to end their nights… or early mornings.

Al pastor taco
Chicken tenders
Chimichanga

TOP FOODS BY CITY

New York City

Pork and crab soup dumpling: (+397%)
Aloo gobi matar (+394%)
Pasta bolognese (+394%)
Olive oil cake (+393%)
Broccoli pizza (+386%)

Los Angeles

Lobster taco: (+399%)
Adobada taco (+359%)
Spaghetti bolognese (+355%)
Korean fried chicken (+345%)
Lamb samosa (+336%)

Chicago

Shrimp poboy (+399%)
Chili dog (+391%)
Fajita de pollo (+378%)
Spaghetti al pomodoro (+350%)
Flourless chocolate cake (+317%)

San Francisco

Mango habanero wing (+393%)
Snickerdoodle cookie (+391%)
Strawberry green tea (+384%)
Shrimp dumpling (+379%)
Iced Vietnamese coffee (+379%)

Philadelphia

Cheesesteak sandwich (+397%)
Cookie and cream milkshake (+396%)
Lump crab cake sandwich (+392%)
Cheesesteak pizza (+383%)
Turkey avocado wrap (+382%)

Dallas

Pork chop (+400%)
Torta cubana (+398%)
Chicken and waffle (+386%)
New York strip steak (+376%)
Red velvet cupcake (+363%)

Houston

Cheese enchilada (+395%)
Vermicelli bowl (+393%)
Brisket taco (+386%)
Italian cannoli (+374%)
Smoked mac and cheese (+373%)

Boston

Tuna tartare (+392%)
Veggie pizza (+389%)
Mushroom barley soup (+379%)
Chicken cacciatore (+372%)
Chicken ranch pizza (+345%)

Atlanta

Rib tips (+391%)
Caramel fudge cheesecake (+385%)
King crab roll (+380%)
Tikka masala (+380%)
Grilled steak sandwich (+340%)

Washington D.C.

Chicken nuggets (+375%)
Steak burrito (+373%)
Butter chicken (+347%)
Chicken tikka masala (+345%)
Pad thai (+324%)

2022 FORECAST

While it’s hard to predict the future of food, we’ve given it our best shot by analyzing hundreds of millions of orders over the past three years to provide you with our prediction on the top foods of 2022. In no particular ranking, here are the orders that are bound to rise in popularity next year.

Margherita flatbread pizza
Buffalo chicken tots
Peanut butter protein smoothie
Cajun steakburger
Apple cobbler

BEVERAGES

This year, diners settled into their new morning routines, which saw coffee orders rise 100% in popularity. Alcohol orders increased by 11% and the margarita was the first alcohol order to crack the top orders of the year.

Coffee

Pumpkin spice latte (+363%)
Vanilla latte (+256%)
Cold brew (+116%)
Flat white (+110%)
Nitro coffee (+68%)

Alcohol

Margarita (+240%)
Mexican beer (+174%)
Mango mojito (+110%)
Cabernet Sauvignon (+106%)
Prosecco (+102%)

VEGAN & VEGETARIAN

Similar to 2020, vegan and vegetarian-friendly orders continued to steadily improve. In 2021, vegan and vegetarian-friendly orders grew by 16% and 13%, in comparison to 2020.

Vegan

Vegan hot cocoa (+320%)
Vegan passion fruit mochi (+236%)
Vegan mint chocolate chip cookie (+236%)
Handmade vegan chorizo taco (+236%)
Black bean arepa (+152%)

Vegetarian

Cheddar scallion biscuits (+362%)
Plum tomato broccoli parmesan risotto (+320%)
Flaxseed and date specialty smoothie (+320%)
Vodka margarita pizza (+236%)
Butternut squash parsnip soup (+236%)

Most Vegan-Friendly States

California
New York
Florida
Texas
Georgia

CONVENIENCE

With more time spent at home these days, it’s important to have all of your convenience and grocery essentials whenever you need them.

Top Convenience Orders

2% milk (+190%)
Toilet paper (+190%)
Instant ramen (+143%)
Paper towels (+130%)
Pepperoni pizza rolls (+103%)

Candies

Gummy bears (+98%)
Peanut butter cups (+92%)
Caramel shortbread chocolate bar (+82%)
Cookies and cream chocolate bar (+73%)
Sour candy (+71%)

We’re making it even easier for diners to grab all of their convenience and grocery essentials. We’ve partnered with Instacart for a limited time to offer existing Grubhub diners two months of Instacart Express for free and $10 off of their first Instacart order over $35. Annual Instacart Express members can also receive 12 months of Grubhub+ for free, including unlimited free delivery on Grubhub orders over $12 from more than 300,000 restaurants nationwide, exclusive perks and members-only deals, and donation matching when members donate their change to a charity at checkout.

FOODIE HONORS

Not every state eats equally, so a few states received high honors due to their specific ordering habits throughout the year.

Most generous state: New Mexico has the highest average tip percentage.
Most outdoorsy state: California has the highest percentage of pickup orders.
Most chill state: Hawaii has the highest percentage of weekend orders.
Wildest state: Rhode Island has the highest percentage of late-night orders.
Most high-rollin’ state: Alaska has the highest average spend per order.
Most romantic state: North Dakota has the highest percentage of two-dish orders.
Most celebratory state: Washington, D.C. has the highest percentage of alcohol orders.
Hungriest state: New York has the highest number of orders

BEST OF GRUBHUB

We took a look at some delivery staples and the restaurants across the country that took home the title – “Best of Grubhub” – for each dish.

Burgers: Mel’s Burger Bar – a casual bar and burger joint in Manhattan, NY that serves up a variety of delicious bar fare like the spicy Hot Mess Burger.
Pizza: Joe’s Pizza – the iconic pizza shop has been serving some of the best pizza around in Brooklyn, NY for over 37 years.
Tacos: Baja Valley Fish & Tacos – a casual restaurant, known for its signature Baja Cali style fish tacos & delicious aguas frescas in suburban Los Angeles.
Dumplings: Su Xing House – offers authentic Chinese vegetarian cuisine in Philadelphia, PA.
Chicken wings: Hartbreakers – A fast-casual, 70’s inspired all vegan restaurant in Brooklyn, NY.

SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES

As the world continues to recover from the pandemic, we haven’t slowed our support for restaurants and local and national charitable organizations. Through the Restaurant Strong Fund, Donate the Change and Grubhub Community Relief Fund we’ve raised over $30 million in 2021.

Restaurant Strong Fund: Grubhub and The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund have supported restaurants across the country to help them survive the pandemic and beyond. In 2021 alone, Grubhub and the Restaurant Strong Fund have given $6 million in grants to restaurants.

Donate the Change: For diners that opt-in to Donate the Change, Grubhub will round up their order total to the nearest dollar and donate the change to a charitable organization. Grubhub also matches all donations on Grubhub+ orders. In 2021, the Grubhub community raised over $24 million through our Donate the Change feature.

Grubhub Community Relief Fund: We also created the Grubhub Community Relief Fund to give proceeds to organizations that provide relief for our restaurants and drivers. To date, the Grubhub community has raised $18 million to help support charitable organizations that support restaurants and drivers.

Methodology: Grubhub’s “Year in Food” report is based on trends gathered from tens of millions of orders on the Grubhub platform. Order trends detail the rise in popularity of food items placed by Grubhub diners from January-November 2021, as compared to the same timeframe in 2020.

About Grubhub
Grubhub is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com (LSE: JET, AMS: TKWY, NASDAQ: GRUB), 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 300,000 restaurant partners in over 4,000 U.S. cities.

Three LGBTQ+ Restaurateurs Awarded $100K Grants from $2 Million Covid Relief Fund

National LGBT Chamber of Commerce and Grubhub Announce Recipients of String-Free Funds for Struggling Restaurants

CHICAGO, Nov. 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the business voice of the LGBTQ+ community and certifying body for LGBTQ+-owned businesses nationwide, and Grubhub, a leading U.S. food-ordering and delivery marketplace, announced today three recipients of $100,000 grants given by the NGLCC/Grubhub Community Impact Grant Program.

FOODE + Mercantile, Café Gabriela, Pitchers DC and League of Her Own, serving communities in Fredericksburg, Va., Oakland, Calif., and Washington, D.C., were granted $100,000 each at the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) Back to Business (B2B) Summit 2021. These small business owners are among the first recipients of the $2 million COVID-19 relief funds generated by the Chamber in partnership with Grubhub. With the funds, the NGLCC and Grubhub created the NGLCC/Grubhub Community Impact Grant Program to support struggling LGBTQ+ owned and LGBTQ+ ally establishments.

“The impact of COVID-19 has been debilitating for countless restaurant and bar owners, including the many LGBTQ+-owned restaurants across the country who have persisted through lockdowns, operational changes and labor and supply shortages,” said NGLCC Co-Founder and President Justin Nelson. “We’re grateful to have partnered with Grubhub to offer real lifelines to support businesses throughout the nation. America’s 1.4 million LGBTQ+-owned business owners have shown incredible resilience over the past two years, and as we travel along this road to full recovery, we are proud to continue being partners for many in our community.”

“COVID has turned the restaurant industry on its head the last 18 plus months, and at Grubhub, we’ve been working hard every day to support our restaurant partners across the country,” said Amy Healy, vice president of government relations for Grubhub. “As the world starts to return to a new normal, we’re proud to partner with the NGLCC and provide these grants to LGBTQ+ owned and LGBTQ+ ally-owned restaurants across the country that are pillars of their communities.”

Here’s what the grant recipients had to say:

“Building community in a fun and safe place has been our mission since the very beginning. We’re relieved and thankful for these funds, and are looking forward to more stable days ahead,” said David Perruzza, owner of League of Her Own and Pitchers DC.

“The past 18 months have been some of the most challenging in my career. Restaurant people are resilient people, but we are forever changed, and these funds will be crucial as we continue to evolve with new technologies and tools to help us compete in this new normal,” said Joy Crump, founding partner and chef of FOODE + Mercantile.

The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce and Grubhub partnered for the month of June for Grubhub’s Donate the Change program, where diners could opt-in, round up their order total, and donate the difference to the NGLCC. Applications for the grant program, ranging from $5,000 to $100,000, opened in September. Recipients were selected based on criteria including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their businesses as well as the restaurants’ plans to use the grant money to recover from the pandemic. Following this initial round of recipients, more grants will be issued in late 2021 and early 2022.

These legacy businesses were initial recipients of a grant program intended to help restaurants and bars impacted by COVID-19. Over the past two years, these small business owners have been among the hardest hit by the global pandemic with loss of jobs and income alongside rising operating costs. For more background on each business, how they were impacted by COVID and how they plan to use funding from the grant, visit here.

Of the over 100 grants to be awarded, 30% of the funds available are intended for businesses owned by people of color and transgender/gender non-conforming individuals. In the coming weeks, grant recipients will be notified and a full list of restaurants and bars that received funds will be made available.

For more information on the Community Impact Grant Program please visit www.nglcc.org/ghgrant.

About NGLCC
The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) is the business voice of the LGBT community and is the largest global advocacy organization specifically dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancements for LGBT people. NGLCC is the exclusive certification body for LGBT-owned businesses, known as Certified LGBT Business Enterprise® (Certified LGBTBE®) suppliers.
www.nglcc.org @nglcc

Safeguarding our efforts to increase food security and prevent food waste

We’ve long embraced our responsibility at Grubhub to use our resources and partnerships to increase the positive impact we can have on the communities we serve. When the pandemic forced the restaurant industry to dramatically change overnight, we doubled down on this commitment, further supporting our restaurant partners and helping them continue to be there for their communities. One of many ways we’ve done this is by purchasing more than three million meals donated to those in need.

A reason why we are able to make this difference is because of a national law called the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act. First signed in 1996, this law encourages donation of food and grocery products – including meals from restaurants – to non-profit organizations for distribution to individuals in need, by protecting organizations from liability as long as their donations are made in good faith. The Emerson Act has not been updated in 25 years, and unfortunately millions of pounds of food and groceries that could help under-served communities still go to waste in this country every year.

Today on Giving Tuesday, U.S. Senators Blumenthal and Toomey introduced the Food Donation Improvement Act of 2021 to modernize the Emerson Act. Expanding and clarifying the existing law for food donation will help us make meaningful progress on the issue of food waste and provide relief to the millions of Americans in our communities experiencing food insecurity. That’s why we urge Congress to pass this Act, and we’ve joined with more than 20 other companies and organizations to support these updates.

With the help of our diners nationwide, Grubhub has provided more than $50 million to charitable causes in recent years, including the following organizations that support restaurants, promote food security and prevent food waste:

The Restaurant Strong Fund gives direct financial support to independently-owned SMB restaurants and their employees. Together, we’ve awarded grants to more than 1,300 restaurants across the country.
Rescuing Leftover Cuisine is a food rescue non-profit headquartered in New York City, and Grubhub’s donation is used to purchase meals from minority and women-owned restaurants that are donated back into the community to food insecure families.
MEANS Database makes it possible to donate food that would have gone to waste from independent restaurants to local emergency feeding services. Grubhub’s donation is used to purchase left-over food from restaurants in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Oakland, Philadelphia, Providence and San Francisco that is donated to underserved communities and those most in need.
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 National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) is the business voice of the LGBTQ+ community and certifying body for LGBTQ+-owned businesses nationwide. In partnership with the NGLCC, we created a grant program for LGBTQ+ and LGBTQ+ ally-owned restaurants.
National ACE is the unified voice across the country for the business interests of people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. Together we created the AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund, a grant program that supports AAPI-owned restaurants.
The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Educational Fund and Grubhub partnered to distribute grants to Hispanic-owned restaurants throughout its national network.

But our job is not nearly done. An estimated 42 million people are expected to experience food insecurity this year alone. By expanding and clarifying the Emerson Act, we can safeguard and build upon our efforts to provide relief to these millions of Americans in our communities.

News Type: Newsroom Archive