When restaurants temporarily closed their doors to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic, they were forced to find alternative ways to feed their hungry customers. To support an increasingly off-premise dining experience, many operators began testing newer and safer options for takeout and delivery.

That’s when restaurants discovered the advantage of curbside food pickup. Added by at least 67% of operators since the start of the pandemic, curbside service has quickly become the most common addition to restaurants both big and small. By offering a new takeout and delivery option, businesses were able to continue feeding their fans while weathering the storm.

Even now that customers are again able to dine in at their favorite restaurant, curbside food pickup has become a staple part of building a resilient business. Let’s walk through the basics of curbside takeout, how it works for your restaurant and what you can expect to gain from Grubhub.

What is Grubhub curbside pickup?

Curbside food pickup is a convenient delivery option that allows customers and delivery drivers to receive pickup orders without needing to enter your restaurant. 

For this reason, curbside service is also often referred to as contactless pickup. Rather than exiting their vehicle, walking into and waiting inside your restaurant, diners and drivers can simply wait in their car for the takeout or delivery order to be brought out to them. 

Due to its added safety and convenience, many operators are offering curbside service. But more importantly, it’s what your customers want. In fact, studies indicate that nearly 90% of consumers say businesses should continue to offer curbside food pickup and other options that limit in-person interactions.

With Grubhub curbside pickup, you can do exactly that. We provide the tools to accept curbside delivery and carryout orders so that you can provide customers the dining experiences they’ve come to expect in a post-pandemic environment. 

How curbside pickup works for restaurants

On the customer side, curbside service is fast, simple and convenient — especially with Grubhub. In fact, more than 8 out of 10 independent restaurant operators surveyed who use Grubhub agree we’re a strong partner and beneficial to their business.

When a diner selects the curbside option while placing a takeout order, all they need to do is follow your curbside service instructions. You might ask them to park in designated curbside parking spots, text a certain number or anything else specific to your restaurant. Once they’re waiting outside, they simply call the restaurant and let them know they’ve arrived. Their order is promptly delivered to their vehicle, and the order is complete.

But what about the other side of things? How does curbside pickup work for your restaurant?

In short, it’s just as easy. All Grubhub Marketplace restaurants are eligible to offer curbside food pickup through their Grubhub.com and mobile app listing. You can enable curbside service from the Profile tab in your Grubhub for Restaurants account. 

By opting into Grubhub curbside service, you give diners the option to choose contactless pickup through the Grubhub mobile app and website. Once enabled, you need to enter a designated 10-digit phone number that customers and drivers can call when they arrive. It’s also best practice to ensure someone is available to answer the phone and deliver pickup orders to the vehicle. You can also let customers and drivers know where they should wait to receive their order using a special instructions field.

When a diner places a curbside order, your restaurant will receive a message that notifies you of their request, as well as any relevant instructions left by the customer (special requests, substitutions, etc.). At that point, your kitchen takes it from there just like they would any normal order. Customers will call your designated phone number when they’ve arrived and your staff will complete curbside delivery — it’s really that simple. 

How much does it cost to use Grubhub curbside pickup?

The data speaks for itself: People want to use curbside delivery.

In fact, at least 43% of consumers have used curbside pickup before, but over 80% are interested in trying it out. This represents a great opportunity for restaurants to meet customer demand and introduce a newer, more convenient and flexible offering to their diners.

But it begs the question: How much does curbside service cost? With Grubhub, it doesn’t cost you a dime. 

As a Grubhub Marketplace customer, your restaurant can add curbside food pickup for no additional cost. That means no extra fees, delivery charges or hidden costs for you or your customers. You can even manage delivery and pickup orders from the Grubhub for Restaurants portal on a free Grubhub tablet.

Not yet a Grubhub partner? No problem. You can get started today with a risk-free trial and marketing rates as low as 5%. 

Unlock one-of-a-kind benefits with curbside pickup

When you enable curbside food pickup at your restaurant, you open the door to a wide variety of unique and impactful business opportunities and advantages.

• Increased revenue: Offering curbside takeout and delivery is a great way to accommodate more traffic and drive orders to your restaurant. Because curbside service is an increasingly popular delivery option among post-pandemic diners, it’s now an essential growth opportunity for businesses of all sizes.

• Customer service: With curbside pickup, customers can order ahead and not need to stand in line waiting to place or receive their carryout order. This creates a more enjoyable experience for diners and reflects positively on your brand. It also allows you to serve more customers simultaneously — a benefit to both impatient customers and your restaurant’s bottom line.
• No delivery fees: By offering curbside service, you can save both you and your customers the cost of delivery fees that are added to the order.

And when you partner with Grubhub, you also gain the advantage of our many restaurant technologies, products and solutions. On top of the added flexibility and convenience that curbside service provides, here’s how you stand to benefit from Grubhub:

• POS integration: Use your POS system to manage curbside, takeout and delivery orders all from one dashboard in the Grubhub for Restaurants portal.
• No extra cost: Offer more to your diners without adding any additional fees.
• Customer data: Collect data to tailor promotions and loyalty programs to better target diners and grow your business.
• Flexible delivery: Leverage Grubhub Delivery and maximize the reach of your Grubhub listing.

That’s just a brief peek at the power that Grubhub can offer your business. For more insights on how we can help your restaurant through curbside pickup, delivery and other services, check out our Grubhub for Restaurants blog today.