• by Teresa Buyikian , September 7, 2023

Food ordering and delivery platform Grubhub has added to its delivery services by announcing the launch of On-Demand Delivery.

The new service gives restaurants who may generally handle their own deliveries with their own staff the option to request a Grubhub delivery driver whenever needed on a per order basis.

This feature is now in pilot in various markets across the country, including Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, D.C., Seattle, Chicago and Denver.

Before the addition of On-Demand Delivery, restaurants could not choose between self-delivery and Grubhub delivery as needed. With the new automated service, they now have the option to switch between both options at will. The cost to restaurants is $5 per order.

"Whether a restaurant could use extra support to keep up with demand during peak hours or cover for a driver who called in sick, we want to give restaurants even more help to run their business…," said Liz Bosone, vice president of restaurant success at Grubhub.

"We've heard from our restaurant partners that they … like having alternate fulfillment options that don't require hiring additional staff.”

Previous to this latest Grubhub BtoB restaurant offering, the company had added Supplemental Delivery in 2021, enabling restaurants that handle their own deliveries to expand their service area utilizing Grubhub drivers.

In July, Grubhub revamped its loyalty program Grubhub+. The retooling included new benefits for members, such as lower service fees and a five percent credit back on pickup orders.

Members also receive $0 delivery fees on orders over $12, donation-matching on Grubhub+ orders and member-only offers from restaurant and convenience stores.

Grubhub also added a Fuel Rewards partnership with Shell, where Grubhub+ members automatically receive Gold Status in Shell’s Fuel Rewards program and save five cents per gallon on fill-ups.