

That’s a quote from one of the 15 local restaurateurs who agreed to talk anonymously about their experiences with the company. “If I stop using them, tomorrow I close the door.” Indeed, with no formidable competitors, GrubHub Seamless isn’t afraid to flex the extraordinary power it has over restaurants that offer delivery. But the cost is substantial, and restaurants-already feeling the pinch of high rent, increased wages, and so forth-no longer believe that the company is on their side. It has made ordering delivery much easier for consumers, and restaurant owners acknowledge that business would be dramatically lower without it. I had heard grumblings about GrubHub Seamless (they merged in 2013) for many months, but not until a Tribeca restaurateur recently vented in detail did I realize that the company warrants a deeper look.
