News Tag: Support

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.

Grubhub’s Support for New York City Council Proposal to Update Price Control

At a hearing held by the City Council’s Committee on Consumer and Workforce Protection today, Grubhub stood with independent businesses in support of Int. 0813, which would amend New York City’s permanent price control on third-party delivery apps and give restaurants the flexibility to opt into additional marketing and promotional services should they choose to do so. 

The amendment, which also safeguards access to Grubhub and other platforms at accessible low rates, ensures that small and medium-sized restaurants, especially New York City’s family and immigrant-owned businesses, can choose to pay for additional services that allow them to better compete, reach new customers and thrive. 

“Hundreds of restaurants from across the five boroughs have made it clear they support legislation that would allow them to make their own marketing decisions and better compete with big brands,” said Dave Tovar, senior vice president of communications and government relations at Grubhub. “Our restaurant partners choose to buy services like search engine marketing and optimization, loyalty and rewards programs and more through Grubhub, where they are far less expensive and more effective for reaching diners. We urge the City Council to act with urgency in passing this amendment so that restaurants can either retain their current rates or choose to explore other options that work best for their businesses.” 

More than half of the City Council currently cosponsors the bill. Over five hundred restaurants,  alongside the chambers of commerce from the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan and dozens of other civic groups, have also voiced their support for this commonsense change. 

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/.

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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.

Grubhub Corporate Accounts Launches Dedicated Solution for Tax Exempt Clients

The automated tax exempt solution streamlines food ordering and account management by automatically removing taxes on eligible orders

Grubhub Corporate Accounts, the industry’s most flexible meal perk platform, announced today its automated, tax exempt solution that removes taxes from non-profit and tax exempt eligible organizations’ invoices and order totals at checkout.

The automated tool further solidifies Grubhub Corporate Accounts as the industry’s most robust  platform, offering the most solutions with the largest restaurant supply for catering and individual ordering. Grubhub Corporate Accounts previously offered a manual tax exempt feature for eligible clients, including companies within the education, non-profit, healthcare and government sectors. The automated solution is a simpler way to ensure taxes are immediately excluded from orders, and clients can choose from a weekly, biweekly or monthly invoicing schedule.

“We heard from our tax exempt clients that they were looking for us to more seamlessly meet their specialized food ordering needs,” said Jeff Mirmelstein, vice president and general manager of corporate accounts at Grubhub. “Now, admins can manage all invoices, tax exempt certificates, exemption statuses and meal orders in the online Grubhub Corporate Accounts administrative portal, saving them both time and money.”

Example illustration

For more information on Grubhub Corporate Accounts, please visit corporate.grubhub.com.

Expanding the Value of Direct for Grubhub Merchants

Since our founding in 2004, we’ve focused on helping restaurants drive orders online and build up their digital presence — an effort that has taken on many forms as technology and our industry have evolved. In our early days, we served as a digital marketplace to send orders to restaurants that they fulfilled. We added our own delivery drivers into the mix over the years to give restaurants an option for delivery support if they didn’t have their own drivers. 

Now fast forward to 2021 when we rolled out Direct, a commission-free branded web ordering channel that gives independent restaurants more options for driving online orders from their own branded channels. Direct recommitted to helping merchants strengthen their digital presence, but our work isn’t finished. We continue to find new ways to help our merchants succeed online, and today, we’re excited to share our latest features coming to Direct soon. 

“A robust digital footprint is key for merchants as they look to reach more diners across ordering channels,” said Kate Green, vice president of restaurant services and innovation at Grubhub. “Our restaurant innovation team is hyper-focused on gathering and analyzing feedback from merchants and data from our platforms. We put these insights into action to further support restaurants’ goals by building products and tools that help drive their business forward. We’re excited to strengthen our offerings for merchants and to serve as an even better, more valuable partner.”

Integration with Google Business Profiles

Merchants will be able to add their Direct site across their Business Profile on Google Search and Maps and select it as their preferred ordering channel via our integration. We know running day-to-day operations is a full time job and resourcing continues to be a challenge across the industry, so we’re making it as easy as possible for merchants to promote their Direct site with just a few clicks within their Direct dashboard. With this integration, we’re putting the control in merchants’ hands to get greater visibility with hungry diners searching for restaurant options, driving more orders without commissions. According to Grubhub data during testing, we found that on average, Direct merchants who list their Direct site on their Google Business Profile receive nearly 20x the orders compared to those who don’t list their Direct site on their Google Business Profile.

$0 delivery fees for restaurants on Direct orders

Direct has always been marketing commission-free, but in the coming weeks, we’ll begin waiving the delivery fee (previously $1.99 per order) paid by Direct merchants that use Grubhub couriers to deliver Direct orders. Cultivating deeper relationships with our restaurant partners is invaluable, and we’ve built our business by helping restaurants grow theirs. It’s these efforts and technology that allow us to serve restaurants by providing tools to reach new diners and grow their business. 

Guest checkout for Direct

Direct is all about enabling merchants to drive more commission-free orders and reach even more diners. With Guest Checkout, diners will be able to order from a merchant’s Direct site without creating a Grubhub account. This removes a barrier to placing an order at checkout, making it easier for new diners to order while helping restaurants generate more sales.

Commission-free ordering and integrations that allow merchants to market to diners are just two components of our Direct product suite. We also know just how powerful a loyal diner base is for our partners. To generate this loyalty, merchants first and foremost need to be where their diners are. Today Direct is a branded website, but as we look to the future, we’re testing additional branded channels that will enable merchants to add more touchpoints with their diners. Stay tuned and up to date with the latest Direct advancements here.

Announcing Grant Recipients of AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund: 73 AAPI-Owned Small Businesses Win Grants of Up to $100,000

Grants supported by the Grubhub Community Fund and distributed by National ACE have been awarded to entrepreneurs across the country to boost AAPI small business recovery

CHICAGO and WASHINGTON, DC – Grubhub, a leading food-delivery marketplace, and the National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (National ACE) announced that 73 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)-owned  restaurants have been awarded grants of $25,000, made possible with a grant from the Grubhub Community Fund. In addition, three finalists were awarded $100,000 grants each live on-stage at the AAPISTRONG Annual Conference in September.

The AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund is intended to provide relief to AAPI small business owners in the restaurant industry, amidst an extended period of unforeseeable and unprecedented economic and social volatility. In 2022, the restaurant industry has been hit hard with staffing difficulties, supply chain delays, and inventory shortages.

Krizzia Yanga, owner of the restaurant Bonifacio said, “From factory shutdowns to a scarcity of commercial truck drivers, COVID has affected not only the prices and supply of domestic products, it also made imported products nearly impossible to acquire. As an AAPI restaurant with ingredients that are imported from the Philippines and other Asian countries, the travel restrictions, staff shortages in the logistics industry, and rising cost of transportations have made it difficult for us to maintain fair prices and stay true to cooking authentic Filipino flavors.”

Above: Krizzia Yang, Owner, Bonifacio, Columbus, Ohio

Bonifacio was one of the AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund finalists, and received $100,000 from the fund. “We are the first full-service and longest standing Filipino restaurant in Columbus and while we have made a name for ourselves and introduced many in our community to Filipino food, it continues to to be a challenge to compete with the larger restaurant groups and chains that Columbus is inundated with, especially in a time of increased xenophobia and anti-Asian sentiment.”

Christy Lang, the owner of Smoove Ice Cream based in New York City said, “We started our business during the pandemic, so unfortunately, we didn’t qualify for any government assistant programs since our operating date was after January 2020.  Tourism has been a big part of the Chinatown small businesses, and with travel restrictions, our business has been hit dramatically in 2020 and 2021. Some big challenges that we are facing currently are inflation, supply chain disruption, and labor shortage.”

The AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund is here to help restaurants respond to ongoing challenges such as paying employees’ wages, expanding operations, or repairing damage to the restaurant caused by discrimination or bias.

Another finalist from Hawaii, Robynne Maii, is doing everything she can to combat food insecurity on her island. “We are concerned about food security in Hawaii. If the boats stopped coming to our islands, the state would have about a two week food supply. This is scary and concerning. When we opened Fête, it was important for us to source as many products as we could, locally. 90% of our produce, eggs, meat, poultry, and seafood is sourced locally. By honoring how we source, we send a clear message to our community of where we stand. We support other local businesses to help sustain the economic flow,” said Maii.

Above: Chef Robynne Maii, Fête, Honolulu, Hawaii

These grants are designed to help AAPI-small business owners, their employees, and the communities they serve as they face continued challenges after emerging from the pandemic including inflation, decreased revenue, economic volatility, and labor shortages. They also provide an opportunity for small business owners to give back to and uplift their communities.

Roongkant Preechathammarach, a $25,000 grant recipient, shared: “I ended up donating about 500 meals to healthcare workers to various hospitals in Manhattan. I always offer 5 to 7 different opinions out of excitement to share and satisfy all these health care heroes working so hard! This month, we catered a Meals-On-Wheels event held in Tribeca serving 800 people.

Above: Roongkant Preechathammarach, owner, Lil Chef Mama, New York, New York

A national survey released by National ACE and Reimagine Main Street in May 2022 found that about 40 percent of AAPI respondents lacked confidence to fund an unplanned $5,000 business expense, and over half lacked confidence they could fund the initiatives that would propel their small business to the next level, such as a marketing campaign, increasing payroll, or purchasing property or equipment.

“Our AAPI-owned restaurants have experienced severe losses throughout the pandemic and even worse, are victims of hate, discrimination, and bias at their place of business,” said Chiling Tong, President and CEO of National ACE. “Grubhub’s ongoing commitment to AAPI-owned restaurants is demonstrated by the support they provide annually to National ACE. The contributions from Grubhub and its diners will provide hope for AAPI restaurant owners that have not been listened to or provided for.”

“Restaurants play a vital role in their communities, and Grubhub is committed to helping them have a positive impact on the people they serve,” said Dave Tovar, Grubhub’s senior vice president of Communications & Government Relations. “This grant program, which is made possible through our Grubhub Community Fund, helps alleviate some of the financial strain restaurants have experienced over the last several years – allowing them to market and grow their business and invest in new technologies. We are proud of how our partnership with National ACE for the last two years has helped AAPI-owned restaurants 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.

The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Announces 280 Hispanic-Owned Restaurants Awarded Grants

2021-2022 Program Made Possible by Nearly $2 Million Donation from Grubhub Community Fund

Washington, D.C. — The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization affiliated with the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) announced today the names of nearly 300 Hispanic-owned restaurants awarded grants between $5,000 to $10,000.

The grant program is made possible by support from the Grubhub Community Fund. With support from Grubhub diners through its Donate The Change program, the fund provided USHCC with almost $2 million in program support in 2021.

Of the 4,500 applications received from around the country, the chosen 280 came from 28 states including Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, and Texas, among others. The awards were given to help Hispanic restaurant owners who struggled to stabilize after the initial hit from the pandemic. With the awarded sum, these restaurants will be able to keep their doors open and continue serving their local communities. The complete list of grant recipients is included below.

“In Hispanic households, great food and conversation are what bring people together. We’re so proud to be honoring 280 small businesses with grants that can really make an impact on the lives of the owners and their surrounding neighborhoods,” explain Ramiro Cavazos, President and CEO of the USHCC. He continues, “The grantees come from diverse parts of the country and even more diverse backgrounds, which is emblematic of the 60+ million Hispanics found throughout the United States.”

“USHCC’s ability to reach so many small businesses, particularly the 280 independent restaurants that received grants last year through this program, makes it an invaluable partner for Grubhub,” said Dave Tovar, senior vice president of Communications & Government Relations at Grubhub. “Throughout the U.S., there are more than 50,000 Mexican restaurants alone that serve all types of Americans. As these restaurants rebuild and expand their kitchens and staff, we’re happy to be a part of their growth and success.”

Since 2017, the number of Hispanic-owned businesses has grown 3%, where Hispanic-owned businesses now make up almost 6% of all businesses. Today, the U.S. Hispanic population has a buying power of $1.9 trillion, nationwide, representing a key demographic in the country’s economy.

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About USHCC

The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) actively promotes the economic growth, development, and interests of five million Hispanic-owned businesses that, combined, contribute over $800 billion to the American economy every year. The USHCC is America’s largest small business advocacy group, representing more than 260 local chambers and business associations nationwide, and partners with hundreds of major American corporations. For more information, please visit ushcc.com. Follow USHCC on Twitter @USHCC.

View List of Grant Recipients

Grubhub’s ‘Serving the City’ Will Offer More Than 25,000 Meals to Communities in Need Across NYC

Bringing together local leaders, independent restaurants and community organizations, new program addresses recent surge in food insecurity

NEW YORK — Continued fallout from the pandemic and the rise in grocery prices due to inflation means more New Yorkers are facing food insecurity, and Grubhub’s Serving the City is partnering with members of the New York City Council to help address the need. Launching tomorrow, the program will run for at least 16 weeks and expects to deliver 25,000 meals to communities in need across each of the City Council’s 51 districts.

“Grubhub launched Serving the City to help address the surge in food insecurity which is up 36% citywide—and 46% among children,” said Adam DeWitt, Grubhub CEO. “And as with every community-first initiative, locking arms with local leaders helps ensure we maximize our impact by focusing on those who need it most. We’re off to an amazing start, and we can’t wait to roll this program out across the entire city as soon as possible.”

Tomorrow, at an event with Speaker Adrienne Adams (District 28), Serving the City will bring 500 meals from Unique Eats to two senior residences: Calvary Baptist Senior Housing (CALBAC) and Northeastern Towers Annex. 

“Food insecurity remains a challenge for many New Yorkers, including residents who live in District 28,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “Small businesses and restaurants are also struggling to recover from the pandemic, and need support from community partners. Grubhub’s new Serving the City initiative will bring together elected officials, local eateries, and residents to deliver meals to those who need it most. I thank Grubhub, Unique Eats, Calvary Baptist Senior Housing, Northeastern Towers Annex, and other partners throughout New York City for being part of this new innovative program.”

Last month, Grubhub kicked off a pilot of the program with Council Member Julie Menin (District 5), purchasing 500 meals from family-owned restaurant Mansion Diner and distributing them to area residents at The Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center. Additionally, in coordination with Council Member Majorie Velazquez (District 13), Grubhub purchased 500 meals from Havana Cafe that were distributed at the Throggs Neck Community Alliance. 

“Grubhub’s Serving the City initiative is an excellent partnership between community leaders, small businesses and an online food ordering company,” said Council Member Julie Menin, Chair of the City Council Small Business Committee. “By partnering with our local restaurants, GrubHub is truly committing dedicated resources to combating hunger in New York City.”

Photo of New York City Council Member Julie Menin (District 5) distributes meals at The Stanley M. Isaacs Center on May 25, 2022.
New York City Council Member Julie Menin (District 5) distributes meals at The Stanley M. Isaacs Center on May 25, 2022.

Over the next three months, Grubhub’s Serving the City will work with Council Members to help identify locations for meal distribution including housing authorities, senior centers and community organizations in their district. Local, independent restaurants will provide more than 500 meals at one or more distribution events per district. 

The COVID-19 pandemic and recent rise in grocery prices have increased food insecurity across the nation, impacting nearly 1.5 million New Yorkers, including one in four children. 

“The Isaacs Center is proud to partner with Grubhub, Council Member Julie Menin and the Mansion Diner in taking one more step towards eliminating hunger and food security in our community,” said Roderick L. Jones, president of the Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center.

Serving the City is the latest effort from Grubhub to help close the hunger gap. The company is a leading supporter of the Food Donation Improvement Act, which encourages companies to donate surplus food and grocery products to nonprofits by providing civil and criminal liability protection to food donors and food recovery organizations. Grubhub also partners with organizations fighting food insecurity, including Food Bank for NYC, Boys and Girls Clubs, and Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, a food rescue non-profit headquartered in New York City that purchases meals from minority and women-owned restaurants that are donated back into the community to food insecure families. Grubhub Community Fund grants to these and other related organizations totaled more than $2 million in 2021.

For more information about Grubhub’s Community Impact programs, visit https://about.grubhub.com/community/programs/.

Supporting Voices

“GrubHub’s Serving The City is taking bold initiative in combating the food insecurity that has been exacerbated by the pandemic,” said Council Member Marjorie Velázquez. “I was thrilled to partner with them and local restaurant Havana Café to provide meals and produce at Throggs Neck Community Alliance.”

“We were so excited to partner with Grubhub’s Serving the City program, along with Council Member Marjorie Velazquez, to provide nutritious and delicious meals from a local favorite restaurant, Havana Cafe,” said Angela Torres, director of Throggs Neck Community Alliance. “The pandemic and current inflation conditions have further weighed upon our community in the Bronx, but these meals were a welcome treat that brought nutrition and hope into the lives of our residents. On behalf of Throggs Neck Community Alliance, we extend our gratitude and cannot wait to see this project continue to make a profound impact.”

“Food insecurity is something that quite frankly is unacceptable in a city and, for that matter, a country like ours,” said John Phillips, 3rd generation owner of The Mansion Diner. “Millions of pounds of food are thrown in the garbage every single year, which is why we jumped at the chance to partner with NYC’s largest food delivery service to give back to the community which supports us all.”

“Upon opening Unique Eats NYC, it has been my mission to provide healthier, more diverse food options for the community,” said Chef Uniqua Grant, owner of Unique Eats NYC. “We pride ourselves on serving fresh, locally-sourced products which are always made to order! It’s an honor to Serve The City.”