New York City to Hold Public Hearing on Third Party Delivery

Tensions between restaurants and third-party delivery companies are reaching a tipping point in New York City, as Nation’s Restaurant News reports that a public hearing will be held on June 27 at 1:00 p.m. at 250 Broadway to discuss the issues.

Restaurant operators and representatives from companies like Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats are all encouraged to attend and have their voices heard at the event entitled “The Changing Market of Food Delivery.”

"We will invite them all," said Reginald Johnson, the chief of staff for New York City councilman Mark Gjonaj, who chairs the small business committee. “If we feel there is a need to have some sort of legislative or policy solution, we will advance that after we have a chance to talk to all stakeholders.”

Nation’s Restaurant News points out the timeliness of the forum: Grubhub and Seamless were handed a class-action lawsuit from restaurant operators earlier this month claiming the service charged them for calls that never resulted in orders.

"We're looking forward to engaging with local policymakers and stakeholders on how we can help restaurants grow their business," a Grubhub spokesperson wrote in an email to Nation’s Restaurant News.

Emily Clouse is a staff writer for 1851 Franchise. Her work has been featured with publications such as The Onion, Reductress, and Chicago Magazine. She graduated from The Ohio State University before running away to join the Peace Corps. In her free time, she enjoys drawing and walking to Jewel-Osco.