Support Archives - Page 6 of 8

Grubhub And Restaurant Strong Fund Program Gives $2 Million To Help Restaurants Reopen

Independent restaurants in more than a dozen cities across the country can apply for a $5,000 Restaurant Stronger grant

CHICAGO and BOSTON, May 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Grubhub, a leading food-ordering and delivery marketplace, and The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund announced the latest phase in their commitment to supporting restaurants: the Restaurant Stronger program, a new initiative to provide $5,000 grants to eligible independent restaurants. As the industry faces new challenges post-pandemic, the Restaurant Stronger grants will help restaurants fully reopen their doors, including staff hiring and training, COVID-related requirements, and inventory purchasing.

“Over the last 14 months, the support that Grubhub has given to the restaurant community has been extraordinary,” said Greg Hill, Founder of The Greg Hill Foundation. “They have ensured that the Restaurant Strong Fund was able to provide millions of dollars in grants to restaurants and their employees to help them survive. This next step will help the industry with what is hopefully a final step toward getting back to their normal.”

The Restaurant Stronger Grant program will be supported with a $2 million donation recommended from the Grubhub Community Relief Fund (GCRF), a donor-advised fund created by Grubhub to support charitable organizations helping restaurants, drivers and those in need impacted by COVID-19. This second phase of the program follows the Winterization Grants launched late last year from a $2 million donation that funded grants to nearly 200 independent restaurants. Upon being awarded one of the Winterization Grants, the team at S&G Restaurant in Chicago said, “This allowed us to keep the current employees we brought back on this summer and to give them an opportunity to earn a little during the holidays. I cannot tell you how opportune this grant was.”

“As we start to see the country open up after more than a year of uncertainty, we’re focused on supporting our restaurant partners as they are welcomed back into their communities in full,” said Kevin Kearns, senior vice president of restaurants at Grubhub. “However, we know that reopening comes with its own expenses, so it’s important for us to come together with the Restaurant Strong Fund again to help lift up the industry in this next, and hopefully final, phase of returning to our new normal post-pandemic.”

Starting May 25 through June 5, the Restaurant Strong Fund will accept grant applications from all restaurants with five or fewer locations in Atlanta, the San Francisco Bay Area (San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley), Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, the Los Angeles area (Los Angeles, Anaheim, Long Beach), New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. The application period will close on June 5 and grants will be fully distributed to restaurants by June 11. Interested restaurants can learn more about the Restaurant Stronger Grant program and the full application process at https://www.restaurantstrong.org/restaurantstronger.

About The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund
The Greg Hill Foundation responds to the immediate needs of families that have been touched by tragedy. Since its inception in 2010, the foundation has provided over $11,000,000 in grants to families and individuals in need. With more than 1 million restaurants in the U.S. employing over 15 million people nationwide, the foundation created the Restaurant Strong Fund to be able to assist restaurant owners and employees who have been impacted by Covid-19.

About Grubhub
Grubhub (NYSE: GRUB) is a leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace with the largest and most comprehensive network of restaurant partners, as well as 33 million active diners. Dedicated to connecting diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features over 300,000 restaurants and is proud to partner with over 280,000 of these restaurants in over 4,000 U.S. cities. The Grubhub portfolio of brands includes Grubhub, Seamless, LevelUp, AllMenus and MenuPages.

Grubhub Unveils Grubhub Direct, a Commission-Free Platform to Help Restaurants Reach Loyal Diners and Build their Brands Online

Independent restaurants can now use Grubhub technology for their own standalone personalized and branded ordering websites to take commission-free orders, market to their diners and control their customer data

CHICAGO, May 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Grubhub today announced Grubhub Direct, a platform to help independent restaurants better compete online through commission-free online ordering and access to their customer data. With nearly 10 years building branded ordering and loyalty experiences for large restaurant chains, Grubhub is leveraging its expertise to help independent restaurants develop their own customized ordering websites, empowering them to market directly to their diners, receive their diner data and manage their branded website—all without any marketing fees.

“We’re constantly listening and learning from our independent restaurant partners, and we’ve heard them. Restaurants want more options to build their brands online and maintain a loyal base of diners through their own channels,” said Matt Maloney, founder and CEO of Grubhub. “That’s why we’re opening our pipes and allowing restaurants to leverage our technology to grow their own brands and communities online. With Grubhub Direct, we’re further supporting restaurants as they rebound from COVID shutdowns into a much larger digital world, by giving them the tools to control their relationships with their diners.”

Grubhub Direct makes it easy for restaurants to develop a unique, highly customizable ordering website and start taking orders by leveraging Grubhub’s best-in-class technology. Restaurants receive access to a powerful suite of solutions at no extra cost, including:

Website design: Choose the fonts, colors and images that fit the restaurant’s brand for a consistent look and feel.
Customer relationship management (CRM): Access diner data including names, email addresses and order history (menu items, lifetime spend, order sizes and fulfillment methods).
Order management: Receive, confirm and cancel orders through the Grubhub platform.
Management portal: Manage menu, hours, financials and other restaurant settings; access reporting and performance insights; and identify future growth opportunities.
Loyalty and promotions: Attract new diners and create loyal ones with Grubhub’s loyalty tools; targeted and ROI-driven promotions; and analytics.
Care support: Benefit from Grubhub’s support team for help via phone, chat or email.

Grubhub Direct reflects our commitment to better support restaurants and help them build their business online, drawing from our deep experience building and powering ordering and loyalty platforms for leading brands such as Smoothie King. Now, independent restaurants can leverage the tools to connect directly with their diners, in addition to Grubhub’s existing Marketplace capabilities, to expand their marketing reach.

“Restaurant owners today are focused on what it takes to run their business and recover from the pandemic,” said Amy Le, owner and chef of Saucy Porka. “They often do not have the time that it traditionally takes to develop and manage their own ordering website, which is why tools like Grubhub Direct will give us a way to build our online brand presence and thoughtfully grow the relationship with our diners.”

“Our guests are always looking for the best loyalty and rewards, and through our branded ordering app, we have access to the tools and insights that enable us to create personalized promotional campaigns to help our guests on their health and fitness journey,” said Rebecca Miller, chief marketing officer at Smoothie King. “In today’s digital age, it’s crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of our guests and their ordering habits for acquisition and engagement efforts, and Grubhub’s technology solves for that—empowering our brand to grow and stand out in a crowded landscape.”

Grubhub will not charge any marketing or commissions to restaurants on Grubhub Direct orders. Restaurants will pay standard credit card processing fees and optionally, a highly competitive delivery fee, only if the restaurant chooses to have Grubhub drivers deliver for them. Tens of thousands of Grubhub restaurant partners deliver their own orders and would pay no delivery charge on Grubhub Direct. Additionally, we’re waiving setup and monthly hosting fees for Grubhub Direct through April 2022. Access to diner data, loyalty programs and promotions through Grubhub Direct is always free.

For more information and to sign up for Grubhub Direct, please visit get.grubhub.com/grubhub-direct.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Grubhub
Grubhub (NYSE: GRUB) is a leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace with the largest and most comprehensive network of restaurant partners, as well as over 31 million active diners. Dedicated to connecting diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features over 300,000 restaurants and is proud to partner with over 265,000 of these restaurants in over 4,000 U.S. cities. The Grubhub portfolio of brands includes Grubhub, Seamless, LevelUp, AllMenus and MenuPages.

Grubhub Joining Effort to Cut Out Cutlery

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

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

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

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

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

Grubhub Announces Driver Grant Program Recipients

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The good news keeps on coming…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Working Toward a More Diverse and Inclusive Workplace with Path Forward

Since our founding in 2004, we’ve encouraged authenticity, celebrated our differences and believed that diversity strengthens our success. More than 30 million people and hundreds of thousands of restaurant owners, from all different backgrounds, rely on Grubhub. We know that we must bring people with different backgrounds, experiences, perspectives and skills around the table to better understand and support the communities we serve.

Over the last year, we’ve looked critically at our company makeup, initiatives, processes and partnerships to identify areas for improvement. We view Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as an ongoing effort with no “end date,” but we’re proud of the progress we’ve made thus far, including removing language with bias from our job postings, diversifying hiring and interview panels, creating our Voices Council and GrubConnect groups, and — most recently — partnering with Path Forward to offer a returnship program to individuals who are looking to return to the workforce in technical roles after taking time spent as a caregiver.

“We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace, and Path Forward provides Grubhub with a valuable avenue to source from a wider and more diverse population of talented professionals who have historically faced barriers to returning to the workforce,” said Kelley Berlin, Grubhub’s chief people officer. “It can be challenging for caregivers to find equitable employment opportunities after taking time caring for their family, and returnships are one way to provide an encouraging developmental path.”

Grubhub’s Reconnect Returnship Program is a 16-week paid returnship for experienced professionals returning to the workforce after spending time caring for their families. The program is open to individuals who have at least five years of professional experience and have been out of the paid workforce for at least two years to focus on caring for a child or other dependent.

“Employers need employees who reflect the diversity of our country and the diversity of their customers,” said Tami Forman, Path Forward’s executive director. “Food delivery is often a lifesaver for those who are caring for their families, and this program provides a pathway for caregivers who very well may have relied on Grubhub’s services in the past to now restart their careers at the company. We are thrilled to partner with Grubhub to launch this program so they can attract people who bring diversity of gender, age, and lived experience to the table.”

Know someone who’s a good fit for the program? Encourage them to apply!

Grubhub gives restaurants expanded commission-free ordering solutions

As restaurants face uncertain and challenging times this winter, Grubhub is introducing a new package of marketing commission-free solutions to make it easier for restaurants to do online ordering through their own digital channels or on-premise properties. These solutions build upon the hundreds of millions of dollars we’ve devoted since March to restaurant support and demand generation, and give restaurants more ways to leverage our Grubhub technology to fulfill orders.

This new package – the Direct Order Toolkit – gives restaurants free access to three solutions to help them drive online orders without any marketing fees:

Direct Order Link: An ordering link for restaurants to use in their email marketing or to post on their social media accounts
Direct Order Button: A customizable “Order Now” button for restaurants to put on their own websites
Direct Order QR Code: A unique QR code for restaurants to include in printed materials like mailers or signs<

Above: Direct Order Toolkit available within the Grubhub for Restaurants Dashboard

Grubhub does not charge any marketing fees to restaurants on these orders – just an order processing fee, which the restaurant would face regardless for credit card processing, and a delivery fee if the restaurant wants to use our drivers for delivery. Leveraging our drivers – for these direct order solutions or on our marketplace – is always optional, and tens of thousands of our restaurant partners choose to do their own deliveries with no delivery charge by Grubhub.

“It’s never been more important than right now for Grubhub to find and develop ways for our independent restaurant partners to serve their customers and drive online orders,” said Seth Priebatsch, Grubhub’s chief revenue officer. “The Direct Order Toolkit delivers on that commitment and makes it easy for restaurant owners to offer takeout and delivery on their own channels by adding these commission-free online ordering capabilities.”

Above left: Customizations for the Direct Order Button. Above right: Download options for the Direct Order QR Code

The Direct Order Toolkit is available to restaurants directly on their Grubhub for Restaurants Dashboard. These solutions improve upon Grubhub’s previous online ordering link solutions, offered since 2013 and used for millions of marketing commission-free orders to restaurants.

This is just one step of many to enable restaurants to build loyalty and drive orders in the best way for their unique business. With deep experience through our in-house agency LevelUp, we power websites, apps, loyalty programs and ordering platforms for restaurants. And in the coming months and beyond, we’re committed to providing even more solutions to give restaurants options to drive more orders and serve their communities.

New Benefits and Protections for Grubhub Drivers in California

The Protect App-Based Drivers and Services Act (a.k.a. Proposition 22) has taken effect in California and some changes are in store for the state’s Grubhub drivers. Starting today, drivers in California will have a number of new benefits and protections, including:

Guaranteed minimum earnings of at least 120 percent of California’s minimum wage for active delivery time before tip (or calculated using the local minimum wage if it’s higher). In addition, drivers will receive 30 cents per active mile driven.
Healthcare subsidy from Grubhub after a minimum of 15 hours of active driving per week, and a higher subsidy if a driver has 25 or more hours of active driving. The subsidy amount is based on an average monthly premium cost for a healthcare plan through the Covered California marketplace.
Mandatory rest periods of six hours after 12 hours of active driving (within a 24 hour period).

In addition to the guaranteed minimum earnings, Grubhub drivers will continue to receive 100 percent of tips they earn. We will also soon be rolling out the ability for diners to add a tip for the driver after an order is delivered.

Drivers in California will soon receive mandatory safety training as well, which will include information about food safety plus defensive driving and collision avoidance techniques. They will also receive information about sexual harassment prevention, and learn how to recognize and report sexual assault and misconduct.

Additional provisions of Prop 22 will continue to take effect in 2021 and further expand protections for delivery drivers and the public. The upcoming protections include occupational accident insurance and additional protections to cover medical expenses and lost income. More information will be released in the coming months.

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

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

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

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

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

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

News Tag: Support