Apparently, New Yorkers can’t say no to a free lunch, even if they have to work extra hard for the deal.
Grubhub JET, +5.36%, the food-delivery platform, offered residents of the Big Apple a $15 credit for lunch on Wednesday, a promotion designed to pump up business during midday. But the response was so overwhelming that the company said it became challenging for its system to keep pace with demand, resulting in some customers being unable to place orders.
“We saw an unprecedented amount (of orders), more than we’ve seen before with any promotion,” said Grubhub spokesman Christopher Krautler.
At some points, Krautler said Grubhub was trying to process 6,000 orders per minute from its New York customers.
The technical issues were resolved later during the 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. offer period, Krautler said. But even then, participating restaurants were backed up delivering orders because of the sheer volume.
Richie Romero, a proprietor of Zazzy’s Pizza, a Manhattan restaurant with three locations, said his Wednesday lunchtime business was 30 times higher than normal because of the promotion. He was still trying to deliver some orders as late as 2:45 p.m.
“It was monstrous,” he said of the surge, adding that he had to bring on extra staff to handle the orders. Not that Romero was complaining: He anticipated getting plenty of new customers because of the promotion.
Romero added that the promotion clearly struck a chord at a time when diners are feeling the financial pinch.
“With inflation, people just want a good deal,” he said.
Still, some New Yorkers couldn’t help but express their frustration on social media with the problems placing orders. But a few at least found humor in the situation.
Grubhub said it would assist customers who experienced any issues. “Our customer care team is working with those folks to offer a $15 credit,” Krautler said.
Manhattan resident Dallas J. Short said he had trouble placing an order initially. But he eventually got the app to work and was soon rewarded with a free lunch of vegan nachos.
“It’s something I would buy again, and I’m not even vegan,” he said.
As MarketWatch documented in the fall of 2021, online orders at many restaurants “have become part of a crushing new reality” even on days when there aren’t promotions. This is due to more people ordering take-out because of the pandemic, and more people ordering food via apps.