Today we are proud to unveil the release of Direct, a commission-free platform designed to help restaurants reach loyal diners and build their brand online.

Independent restaurants have faced unprecedented challenges due to the impact of COVID-19. As restaurants rebound, we want to help them build an online presence and maintain a loyal base of diners through their channels.

“That’s why we’re opening our pipes and allowing restaurants to leverage our technology to grow their own brands and communities online,” said Matt Maloney, founder and CEO of Grubhub. “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.”

Introducing Direct

With Direct, restaurants can drive customers to a branded online ordering website. In addition, restaurants receive access to a robust 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.

Start taking commission-free orders on your own site

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.

If a Grubhub Restaurant partner uses self-delivery, they will pay no delivery charges on Direct.

For nearly ten years, Grubhub has built branded online ordering and loyalty experiences for large restaurant chains, and we’ve taken that expertise to better support independent restaurants and help them build their business online, drawing from our experience building and powering ordering and loyalty platforms for leading brands like 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,” Said Rebecca Miller, Chief Marketing Officer at Smoothie King.

Ready to connect to your customers and their data with your own branded ordering website? Click here to learn more about Direct.