Is your bakery listed on third-party delivery sites without your permission?
Go ahead and Google “(your restaurant) + delivery” right now. If you’re being featured on a platform you didn’t consent to, or if you don’t offer delivery at all, you’re not alone. Shops like Okie Donuts in Philadelphia made it known that they are not affiliated with Grubhub:
Why third-party sites are doing it
For years, third-party sites like DoorDash, Seamless and Grubhub have added restaurants to their platforms without restaurant permission. The public claim is that it enhances customer experience and dining options, all while bringing new business to the restaurants.
The reality is that every delivery platform is doing it, so each of them wants customers to use their app as often and exclusively as possible.
This type of shady behavior wasn’t cool before the pandemic, and it’s even more egregious on top of the 15-30% fees they take from actual restaurant partners.
But in most states, this behavior is either ignored or deemed perfectly legal.
“When these apps would just pull our menu from somewhere without letting us know, customers might order something that we don’t offer anymore, especially if the restaurant’s menu is seasonal […] Customers don’t blame the delivery company when they get told we don’t have something, they blame the restaurant. That mistake isn’t something we can take right now [during the pandemic].”
Chef Pim Techamuanvivit, Owner of Kin Khao
Why it’s bad for restaurants
Some might argue: why is it such a bad thing if the restaurant is getting more customers as a result?
As Food & Wine Magzine stated, “Restaurant owners have good reason to be dubious of the presumed publicity and increased business that might come with being automatically listed on a delivery app.” Factors like…
- Misinformation such as old menus or incorrect pricing
- Lack of control with food handling and delivery experience
- Customers may be be frustrated with cancelled orders, and the delivery drivers won’t get paid for their time when restaurants refuse to fulfill them
Dig through the comments of this Tik Tok I created, and you’ll see a lot of industry folks who are equally passionate on the topic:
Small wins:
Because of dining bans and the pandemic, restaurants have turned to third-party as a saving grace, only to realize how they’ve been taken advantage of all along. Now the issue is finally getting the attention it deserves.
In fact, some states like California and New York recently passed laws that fine third-party platforms for offering delivery without permission from the restaurant.
California’s Fair Food Delivery Act just went into effect on January 1, 2021.
Platforms like DoorDash say they will no longer add restaurants without consent, and they will honor removal requests too.
Currently, there’s a class-action lawsuit against Grubhub, representing over 150,000 restaurants. The law suit claims that this marketing practice causes “significant damage to [independent restaurants’] hard-earned reputations, loss of control over their customers’ dining experiences, loss of control over their online presence, and reduced consumer demand for their services.”
What can you do now if your restaurant is listed without your permission?
Start by updating your menus everywhere online.
Fact is, the third-party platforms will probably try to list you unless it’s illegal. So make sure your menus are up to date on every publication site. That means your website, Google My Business, Yelp, Trip Advisor, Four Square, etc.
You can do this manually or through a software like Marqii.
That way, when Grubhub and co. inevitably scrape your menu off the Internet, it’ll at least show the correct menu items and prices.
Request to be removed, and be prepared to follow up.
Each platform has a different protocol. For example, Grubhub lists restaurantremoval@grubhub.com as the correct contact and other platforms use a contact form.
Most restaurant owners claim that their original requests were ignored, and they had to follow up several times via email and phone. Some threatened legal action.
Ask local restaurant owners if they’re experiencing the same.
Approach the third-party platforms as a collective. Or, in a more serious case, a class-action lawsuit.
Consider a high service fee.
Some restaurant owners saw success by charging $50+ service fees per order.
Call them out publicly!
Post about it on social media and email your customers. Education can be a powerful tool to change consumer behavior.
One person commented this on my Tik Tok video:
“I was so irritated with a restaurant recently over this, I had no idea they didn’t know they were on GH! Will no longer hold a grudge against them!”
For more resources
- How to Remove Your Restaurant from Third-Party Food Delivery Apps [GloriaFood]
- A New Bill Would Fine Delivery Platforms for Listing NY Restaurants Without Their Permission [Eater NY]
- In-N-Out Doesn’t Want Anyone Delivering Their Burgers to Your Doorstep [Food & Wine]
- Remove third-party links from Google My Business [Google] and [Inc.]
You may also be interested in…
- Why third-party delivery is killing you business >> read more <<
- QR codes for restaurants >> read more <<
- Catering in the midst of a pandemic >> read more <<
