In the early 2000s in New York and Chicago, two groups of people had the same idea: What if we could order takeout online? In New York, this idea formed into Seamless. In Chicago, it became Grubhub.
At the time, ordering food was a hassle. People were restricted by what menus they had lying about, and paying by card meant reading out numbers on the phone.
Grubhub and Seamless both changed that by uploading restaurant menus online and storing card information, making the process a lot easier. Both charged restaurants 10 percent commission for every order, although that has since risen to more than 30 percent in some cases.
For the first decade, Grubhub and Seamless dominated in their respective markets, but began to encroach on each other’s in the early 2010s as food delivery started to take off. In 2013, the two companies agreed to merge, creating a powerhouse that controlled 70 percent of takeout orders.
As the two merged, a new form of food delivery was emerging in California, led by Postmates, DoorDash and Uber Eats. Instead of simply aggregating takeaways, these new platforms provided delivery service for restaurant, at a higher commission.
Grubhub CEO Matt Maloney called this “the dumbest business you could ever be in”, as it offered razor-thin margins even with 30 percent commission. But, due to stock market pressure, Grubhub decided to start providing delivery service to some restaurants.
Since 2015, Grubhub has steadily lost marketshare in the United States, as Uber Eats and DoorDash claimed more users. From a high of 70 percent, Grubhub sits at less than 15 percent marketshare, behind DoorDash and Uber Eats.
Grubhub has, like most food delivery apps in the US, had its fair share of controversy. It has been criticised for setting up phony websites of local businesses and earning commission from routed phone calls, which may have not ended in a purchase.
In 2020, Uber approached Grubhub with an acquisition offer, after failing to acquire DoorDash. At the same time, Just Eat Takeaway launched a $7.1 billion bid, which Grubhub accepted in June 2020. Grubhub has since been sold by Just Eat to Wonder Group for $650 million.
The acquisition added a new source of funding for Grubhub to continue competing with DoorDash and Uber Eats in the low-margin market of food delivery. But, due to the downturn in tech stocks, Just Eat Takeaway has been exploring a sale of the unit.
We have collected data and statistics on Grubhub. To find out more, read on below. Want more insights? Check out our food delivery app report.
Grubhub Key Statistics
- Grubhub generated $2.1 billion revenue in 2023, a 15% decrease year-on-year
- Its gross transaction volume also reached $8.7 billion in that time
- Grubhub had 24.6 million active users, who use the app at least once a month
- Over 300,000 restaurants in 4,000 cities are partnered with Grubhub
Want to learn more about the food delivery app industry? Our Food Delivery App report includes breakdowns of all of the top apps by revenue, GMV and orders, alongside regional market share statistics, usage, and downloads. 
Food Delivery App Report 2024
Grubhub Overview
| Title | Title 2 |
|---|---|
| Launch date | 2004 |
| HQ | Chicago, Illinois |
| People | Matthew Maloney (co-founder, CEO), Adam DeWitt (President, CFO), Maria Belousova (CTO) |
| Business type | Subsidiary |
| Parent company | Wonder Group |
| Industry | Food delivery |
Grubhub Revenue
Grubhub made $2.1 billion revenue in 2023, the first annual decline for the food delivery app.
Grubhub revenue 2010 to 2023 ($mm)
| Year | Revenue ($mm) |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 8.5 |
| 2011 | 30 |
| 2012 | 60 |
| 2013 | 170 |
| 2014 | 253 |
| 2015 | 361 |
| 2016 | 493 |
| 2017 | 683 |
| 2018 | 1007 |
| 2019 | 1312 |
| 2020 | 2026 |
| 2021 | 2362 |
| 2022 | 2482 |
| 2023 | 2105 |
Sources: Food Delivery App Report, Company data
Grubhub GTV
Grubhub made over $8.7 billion in gross transaction volume in 2023, an 13.8% decrease on the previous year.
Grubhub gross transaction volume 2013 to 2023 ($bn)
| Year | Gross transaction volume ($bn) |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 1.3 |
| 2014 | 1.8 |
| 2015 | 2.4 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 3.8 |
| 2018 | 5.1 |
| 2019 | 5.9 |
| 2020 | 8.7 |
| 2021 | 9.7 |
| 2022 | 10.1 |
| 2023 | 9.4 |
Source: Company data
Grubhub Users
Grubhub had 24.6 million active customers in 2023, who purchased through the app once a month.
Grubhub users 2013 to 2023 (mm)
| Year | Users (mm) |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 3.4 |
| 2014 | 5 |
| 2015 | 6.7 |
| 2016 | 8.1 |
| 2017 | 14.5 |
| 2018 | 17.7 |
| 2019 | 22.6 |
| 2020 | 31.4 |
| 2021 | 33.8 |
| 2022 | 28.3 |
| 2023 | 24.6 |
Sources: Food Delivery App Report, Company data
Grubhub Orders
Grubhub completed 248 million orders in 2023, the company’s second annual decline in total orders.
Grubhub orders 2013 to 2023 (mm)
| Year | Orders (mm) |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 49.2 |
| 2014 | 65.7 |
| 2015 | 82.8 |
| 2016 | 100.3 |
| 2017 | 121.9 |
| 2018 | 158.7 |
| 2019 | 179.6 |
| 2020 | 227.2 |
| 2021 | 310.2 |
| 2022 | 288 |
| 2023 | 248 |
Source: Company data
Grubhub Restaurants
There were 325,000 restaurants and other services partnered with Grubhub in 2023.
Grubhub partnered restaurants 2013 to 2023
| Year | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 29,000 |
| 2014 | 35,000 |
| 2015 | 44,000 |
| 2016 | 55,000 |
| 2017 | 95,000 |
| 2018 | 115,000 |
| 2019 | 225,000 |
| 2020 | 265,000 |
| 2021 | 324,000 |
| 2022 | 333,000 |
| 2023 | 325,000 |
Source: Company data
Grubhub Cities
Grubhub and Seamless are available in over 4,000 cities in the US and Canada.
Grubhub available cities 2013 to 2020
| Year | Cities |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 700 |
| 2014 | 900 |
| 2015 | 1,000 |
| 2016 | 1,100 |
| 2017 | 1,700 |
| 2018 | 2,200 |
| 2020 | 4,000 |
Source: Company data
Grubhub Valuation
Grubhub was valued by Just Eat Takeaway at $7.1 billion in 2020, when it acquired the delivery platform.
Grubhub valuation 2014 to 2020 ($bn)
| Year | Valuation ($bn) |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2018 | 12.3 |
| 2020 | 7.1 |
Sources: LinkedIn, Pitchbook, Business Insider
Grubhub vs Competitors: Market Share
Grubhub has declined from a high of 70% market share in 2016 to less than 10% in 2023.
Food delivery market share in US 2016 to 2023 (%)
Want to learn more? Check out our Food Delivery App report
Grubhub FAQ
How many people deliver food for Grubhub?
Over 65,000 people deliver food for Grubhub
How many people do Grubhub employ?
Grubhub employ 2,750 full time staff to work on the website and app
Where does Grubhub hold the most marketshare in the US?
Alongside New York, Grubhub has high market share in Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston and Jacksonville
How much did Just Eat Takeaway pay for Grubhub?
Grubhub was acquired by Just Eat Takeaway for $7.1 billion
How much did Wonder Group pay for Grubhub?
Wonder Group spent $650 million for Grubhub, a 90% decline on what Just Eat paid in 2020
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