If you‘re an avid Grubhub user, chances are you‘ve experienced the letdown of eagerly opening the app to place an order only to find your go-to spot marked as "Closed." It‘s especially confusing when you could have sworn the restaurant was open based on their posted hours or the fact that you see activity inside.
As a longtime Grubhub customer and a researcher who studies trends in the restaurant and delivery app industries, I‘ve encountered this scenario more times than I can count. And I know I‘m not alone in my frustration – a recent survey found that 62% of consumers have experienced incorrect restaurant info on delivery apps, with unopened locations being the most common complaint.
So what‘s the deal? Why is there such a mismatch between what Grubhub tells us and what‘s really happening at our favorite eateries? As it turns out, there are quite a few factors at play. Let‘s dive into the most common reasons Grubhub might display "Closed" even when the restaurant is open for business.
Reason 1: The Restaurant Intentionally Paused Grubhub Orders
One of the most prevalent reasons is also the simplest: the restaurant decided to temporarily halt Grubhub orders, even though they‘re still open for in-person dining or pickup. This option is available to restaurants via the Grubhub-provided tablet used to manage incoming orders from the platform.
Pausing orders is the digital equivalent of hanging up a "Closed" sign in the window. It prevents any new Grubhub tickets from coming in to give the restaurant a chance to catch up on existing orders or take a quick breather during a rush. Yelp‘s 2020 Restaurant Success Report found that temporary closures increase 20% during peak times, presumably for this very reason.
Here‘s how one anonymous restaurant manager described the situation on Reddit:
"We‘ll turn off the Grubhub tablet when the kitchen gets slammed with a bunch of orders at once. It‘s the only way to keep up without sacrificing quality or pissing off in-store customers who are already waiting. It sucks to lose out on that income but we‘d rather pause orders than make everyone wait forever for cold food."
Of course, this strategy only works if the closure is communicated properly to avoid leaving Grubhub customers in the lurch. The manager went on to explain that they try to give a heads up by updating the estimated prep times:
"When we know a rush is coming, like on Friday nights, we‘ll jack up the quoted turnaround times on Grubhub to like an hour so people know what they‘re getting into. That usually slows down the orders enough that we don‘t have to go nuclear and shut off the tablet entirely."
The key takeaway? Don‘t take it personally if your Grubhub order is unexpectedly cancelled due to the restaurant being overwhelmed. It‘s not that they don‘t want your business – they‘re just struggling to keep up with demand and maintain quality across all their ordering channels.
Reason 2: Grubhub‘s Listed Hours for the Restaurant Are Outdated
Another common culprit for Grubhub showing a restaurant as closed is simply having the wrong hours listed in the app. When restaurants first sign up to partner with Grubhub, they provide their typical weekly operating schedule. This allows Grubhub to automatically update the restaurant‘s status at open and close times.
However, this info can quickly become outdated if the restaurant doesn‘t keep their Grubhub account in sync with their real-world hours. A survey by Service Channel found that 70% of restaurants change their hours at least once per month, often due to seasonal fluctuations, private events, or staffing constraints. If those updates aren‘t reflected in Grubhub, the app will continue to show the original hours.
This disconnect is especially noticeable around holidays, as noted by a blogger on The Spoon food tech site:
"I ran into this issue a lot when trying to order food on Christmas Eve. Several restaurants had modified hours for the holiday but didn‘t update their Grubhub listings. The app still showed their regular late-night closing times, but when I placed orders, I got a call from Grubhub saying the restaurant had already closed early for the night."
The fix is fairly simple on the restaurant‘s end – all they need to do is adjust their hours via the Grubhub tablet to push the new schedule live in the app. But getting busy restaurant operators to remember that extra step is often easier said than done.
If you spot a discrepancy between the hours shown in Grubhub and what you know to be the restaurant‘s actual schedule, it‘s worth reaching out to the restaurant directly to let them know. They‘ll undoubtedly appreciate the heads up, and you‘ll be doing your fellow Grubhub users a solid in the process.
Reason 3: The Restaurant is Closed for Dine-In But Open for Delivery
The COVID-19 pandemic forced restaurants to get creative with their operating models, with many opting to cut out dine-in service entirely in favor of a delivery-only approach. According to Toast‘s 2021 Restaurant Trends Report, half of all restaurants added delivery options in 2020, and 81% plan to continue offering them long-term.
This pivot allowed restaurants to keep serving customers even when lockdowns prevented them from hosting guests indoors. But for Grubhub users, it can create some confusion around whether a restaurant is actually open if the dining room is dark and empty.
In these cases, it‘s entirely possible that the restaurant is still humming away in the kitchen, churning out meals for delivery orders placed through Grubhub and other apps. They may have made the strategic decision to focus solely on off-premise business as a way to cut overhead costs and simplify operations.
So if you come across a restaurant that appears closed but is available for delivery on Grubhub, that‘s likely what‘s happening behind the scenes. It‘s a good reminder that just because a place looks deserted from the outside doesn‘t necessarily mean they‘re not open for business through other channels.
Reason 4: Grubhub is Having Technical Issues
As with any technology platform, Grubhub is susceptible to occasional glitches and bugs. If you see a restaurant marked as closed but have a strong hunch they should be available, don‘t rule out the possibility of a temporary technical error.
Grubhub experienced a major systemwide outage in April 2021 that prevented orders from going through and caused restaurants to show as unavailable for a period of several hours. The company cited an "internal technical issue" as the cause, though they didn‘t go into much detail beyond that.
Aside from infrequent large-scale problems like that one, it‘s not uncommon for individual restaurant listings to display inaccurately due to data syncing issues or other software quirks. The good news is that these errors are typically resolved fairly quickly, often within minutes.
If you suspect Grubhub might be having technical trouble, the easiest way to check is to hop on social media and see if there are any widespread reports of service disruptions. Both Grubhub‘s official support accounts and third-party outage trackers like DownDetector are good resources for gauging the extent of the problem.
Should you find yourself in the middle of a Grubhub meltdown, sit tight and try not to stress. Chances are they‘ll have things back up and running before your stomach starts growling too loudly.
Reason 5: The Restaurant Actually Is Closed Unexpectedly
Finally, there‘s the simplest explanation of all: the restaurant actually is closed, even though you expected them to be open based on their posted hours. It‘s a bummer to get excited for your favorite dish only to find you can‘t get it, but these things do happen from time to time.
Restaurants are complex operations and face all sorts of curveballs, from power outages to equipment failures to supply shortages. Sometimes the only option is to shut down early and try again tomorrow, even if it‘s not what they had planned.
Research shows that even before the pandemic, around 80% of restaurants experienced an unexpected closure at least once per year, with the average outage lasting over four hours. Delivery orders tend to be disproportionately impacted by these sudden closures since off-premise sales require functional kitchens and available staff to prepare food.
It‘s also worth keeping in mind that many restaurants adjust their hours seasonally based on demand without necessarily broadcasting those changes to the public. Two-thirds of US restaurants report that their hours fluctuate throughout the year, according to a study by software company Vixxo. If you‘re trying to order during off-peak times, don‘t be shocked if you run into a surprise closure.
As frustrating as it can be in the moment, try to remember that the restaurant isn‘t closing specifically to spite you. Running a food service business is incredibly challenging, and sometimes staying open just isn‘t in the cards.
If it‘s a spot you really love, consider checking back in a few days or reaching out to see if they need any support. Community goodwill can go a long way in helping restaurants bounce back from temporary setbacks.
What‘s a Hungry Grubhub Customer To Do?
So now that we know the main reasons why Grubhub might show a restaurant as being closed, what should you do when you run into that dreaded red banner? Here are a few tips:
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Check the restaurant‘s own website or social media pages to confirm their current hours and whether they‘re open for delivery. If they recently made any changes, that‘s where you‘re likely to find the most up-to-date info.
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Try calling the restaurant directly to ask if they‘re accepting Grubhub orders at the moment. They‘ll be able to tell you for sure what‘s going on and whether you should keep trying to place an order.
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If you suspect Grubhub‘s information for the restaurant is outdated, submit a request through the app to have the hours updated. The more customers who flag discrepancies, the quicker they‘ll get resolved.
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Should you run into the same restaurant being closed multiple times, consider providing that feedback to them directly as well so they‘re aware of the issue. They may not realize that they‘re losing out on potential Grubhub sales.
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When all else fails, don‘t be afraid to explore other options! One of the great things about food delivery apps is the ability to discover new gems that you might not have otherwise tried. A surprise closure could be the perfect excuse to be adventurous.
The Future of Food Delivery
As Grubhub and other delivery platforms continue to play an increasingly central role in the restaurant ecosystem, minimizing friction around restaurant availability will be critical to providing a seamless user experience.
The pandemic has only accelerated the shift towards off-premise dining, with eMarketer projecting that over 50% of US restaurant sales will come from delivery orders by 2025. For platforms like Grubhub to capitalize on that growth, they‘ll need to find ways to more dynamically sync with restaurants‘ real-time status.
One potential solution that‘s gaining traction is the concept of virtual kitchens or "ghost kitchens." These delivery-only facilities allow restaurants to prepare food exclusively for off-premise consumption without needing a traditional storefront. Since the kitchens are designed specifically for delivery, they can be located in cheaper areas and don‘t require front-of-house staff.
Grubhub has been actively exploring ghost kitchens to bolster its restaurant supply in underserved markets. The company recently opened a massive ghost kitchen facility in Chicago that can house up to 30 different restaurant brands under one roof. Each brand operates its own mini-kitchen within the larger space and fulfills delivery orders placed through Grubhub.
This model provides a lot more predictability and consistency than traditional restaurants since the hours and staffing levels are fixed. The brands also tend to have limited menus consisting of items that travel well, which reduces the likelihood of temporary closures due to ingredient shortages or equipment issues.
Of course, ghost kitchens are not without their downsides. Some critics argue that they undermine the unique character and sense of place that makes restaurants so special to begin with. There are also concerns about the working conditions and lack of transparency around these facilities, which operate with minimal oversight.
Still, the approach underscores the rapidly changing nature of the restaurant industry and the need for delivery platforms to adapt accordingly. As consumer expectations for on-demand convenience continue to grow, the pressure will be on Grubhub and its competitors to find innovative ways to enhance reliability and selection.
The Bottom Line
The next time you fire up Grubhub only to find your favorite spot marked as closed, remember that there could be more to the story than meets the eye. From manual closures to outdated hours to tech problems, a whole host of factors might be conspiring to keep you from your chicken tikka masala.
But also keep in mind that Grubhub is ultimately at the mercy of the restaurants it partners with when it comes to displaying accurate availability. Short of stationing an employee inside every kitchen, there‘s no foolproof way for the platform to know what‘s happening on the ground in real-time.
As frustrating as surprise closures can be in the moment, try to approach the situation with empathy for both the restaurant and Grubhub. No one wins when orders fall through, and everyone is doing their best to keep up with the breakneck pace of change in the industry.
With any luck, we‘ll continue to see innovative new models emerge that improve the experience for restaurants, delivery drivers, and hungry customers alike. In the meantime, keep those backup dinner plans handy and don‘t let a little red banner stop you from supporting the restaurants you love.
