Like many of us, I’ve been thinking a lot about our local food carts, restaurants, brewpubs, and coffeeshops in this new world order of social distancing and avoiding crowded spaces. How can we support these critical components of our Portland culture and economy without exposing ourselves and others to possible infection? (I honestly can’t believe I just typed that sentence. Oof.)
Well, get ready to be happy. Or at least a little less concerned. A number of mayors — including Portland’s — have struck a deal with food delivery service Grubhub to waive the fees for our local purveyors.
In collaboration with the mayors of large cities across the United States who are on the front lines of the COVID-19 response efforts, Grubhub today announced it is temporarily suspending collection of up to $100 million in commission payments from impacted independent restaurants nationwide.
Grubhub’s initiative will provide immediate and substantial cash flowrelief to qualified independent restaurants — restaurants that make up the majority of Grubhub’s 350,000+ restaurant community and drive more than 80 percent of the company’s orders.
For more information, see the Grubhub press release. And please go order some lunch or dinner from a local restaurant.
