Things are heating up on the third-party delivery landscape, where the players are getting much more competitive on pricing and options.

In fact, just months after DoorDash launched a platform allowing restaurants to list themselves on its marketplace while using their own in-house drivers to fulfill deliveries, Grubhub has created a platform offering them access to commission-free online ordering. And this latest move by Grubhub — Grubhub Direct — comes less than two weeks after DoorDash announced a new sliding-scale commission structure for restaurant clients.

Grubhub Direct helps 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 — without marketing fees, founder and CEO Matt Maloney said in a company press release.

"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," he said in the release. "That's why we're opening our pipes and allowing restaurants to leverage our technology to grow their own brands and communities online."

Users have access to:

  • Website design.
  • Customer relationship management.
  • Order management: Receive, confirm and cancel orders through the Grubhub platform.
  • Management portal.
  • Loyalty and promotions.
  • Care support: Benefit from Grubhub's support team for help via phone, chat or email.

"Restaurant owners today are focused on what it takes to run their business and recover from the pandemic," Amy Le, owner and chef of Saucy Porka, said in the release. "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."

Grubhub will not charge any marketing or commissions to restaurants on Grubhub Direct orders. Brands will pay standard credit card processing fees as well as a delivery fee when Grubhub drivers deliver orders.

Tens of thousands of Grubhub restaurant partners deliver their own orders and would pay no delivery charge on Grubhub Direct, according to the release. Additionally, the company is waiving setup and monthly hosting fees for Grubhub Direct through April 2022.

Copyright © 2021 Networld Media. All rights reserved., source Industry News