Grubhub Direct was created to apply expertise and technology to assist independent restaurants to develop ordering and delivery. Grubhub Direct will not incur commissions or marketing fees on orders placed. Restaurants will pay a delivery fee if Grubhub drivers fulfill orders.
Grubhub Direct will assist restaurants with website design, provide customer relationship management including maintaining databases and order history and will manage menus and receive, confirm and cancel orders.
Matt Maloney, founder and CEO of Grubhub stated, "we are constantly listening and learning from our independent restaurant partners, and we have heard them". He added, "that is why we are opening our pipes and allowing restaurants leverage our technology to grow their own brands and communities online”.
Grubhub and competing delivery services have come under intense criticism from restaurants, regulators, customers and workers over inequities in pay and high charges. Despite fees paid by restaurants Grubhub is not profitable having posted a twelve-month trailing operating margin of -7.5 percent and a profit margin of -9.9 percent. On June 9th 2020 Just Eat Takeaway announced the acquisition of Grubhub in a $7.3 billion transaction.