Third-party deliverer Grubhub is charging head-first into the city’s burgeoning delivery wars, announcing on Tuesday that the company is eliminating customer fees this winter in an effort to encourage more customers to order in, according to a news release. In making the announcement, Grubhub takes a swipe a DoorDash for it’s $1.50 Chicago Fee that its rival added to compensate for the city’s new 15 percent third-party restaurant fee cap.
While attacking a competitor, Grubhub’s campaign appears to be a way to drive up membership for its subscription service. To take advantage of the offer, customers must sign up for Grubhub+, a membership program that costs $9.99 per month. There’s a free 90-day trial. The service offers unlimited free delivery on orders of $12 or more, priority assistance, and other perks like referral bonuses and restaurant rewards. Locals can sign up online until December 31. A Grubhub spokesperson says the move is a way to encourage customers to order more during the winter months.
Grubhub’s campaign comes just as Chicago restaurants are bracing for a difficult pandemic winter — and shortly after DoorDash quietly added a $1.50 “Chicago Fee.” DoorDash contends that the fee will help recoup losses from the city’s new 15-percent cap on third-party ordering services. The move was, unsurprisingly, unpopular — restaurant owners fear the added fee will deter customers; officials say it’s an attempt to evade the city’s cap. Third-party couriers have been under fire by restaurant owners who say commission fees, which prior to the cap could total 30 percent, were too high.