Operations
The new weekly program gives diners Grubhub credit for eating at participating restaurants, including beta debuts in New York City and Chicago with Tacombi, Dos Toros, Chopt and other fast-casual brands.
Photo: Grubhub
September 29, 2026 by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com
Grubhub is moving beyond delivery, launching a beta of The Drop, its first dine-in experience, which rewards diners with Grubhub credit when they claim an offer, eat at a participating restaurant and pay with a linked card.
“The Drop extends Grubhub’s role in helping diners discover and enjoy great restaurants beyond delivery and into dining out,” Grubhub CEO Howard Migdal told FastCasual.com.
How it works
Every Thursday, The Drop will give diners up to three personalized offers built around neighborhood favorites, cult classics and “the spots everyone’s talking about.” Diners claim one, dine out and earn Grubhub credit for future orders.
Diners link an eligible payment card, and credit posts automatically after a qualifying purchase. No receipts, promo codes or manual redemption are required.
“It’s designed to become a weekly ritual for diners, with personalized offers refreshed each week,” Migdal said. “Rather than a one-time transaction, it’s meant to become a habit.”
Participating restaurants in the beta include Tacombi, Juice Generation, Chopt Creative Salad Co., DIG, Dos Toros, Momoya, 7th Street Burger and Pokeworks, with more to come.
The initial beta group will receive weekly offers for several weeks before The Drop rolls out to all diners in both markets, which Grubhub plans to do later in October. Additional cities will follow.
“The Drop is designed to be an ongoing program, not a limited-time promotion,” Migdal said. “This phased approach allows us to refine the experience, build momentum, and help diners make The Drop part of their regular routine.”
First product from Claim
The Drop is the first consumer-facing product to emerge from Grubhub’s acquisition of Claim, bringing Claim’s card-linked rewards technology into the Grubhub app.
The company said the program is a significant expansion of its marketplace strategy, connecting dining out with ordering in. By engaging diners whether they are eating out, ordering delivery or shopping for groceries, Grubhub said, The Drop strengthens a “flywheel of discovery, engagement, and repeat usage.”
Pay-for-performance pitch
For restaurants, the pitch centers on limiting risk.
“There’s no upfront cost or platform fees. Restaurants only pay when a diner actually walks in and spends,” Migdal said.
Because the program is card-linked, every visit is verified at the register.
“A restaurant is never billed for budget that didn’t turn into a guest,” he said.
Migdal called The Drop Grubhub’s “first product where restaurant spend is tied directly to someone eating in person.” It sits alongside the company’s other marketing tools.
Asked what percentage of each sale Grubhub takes, Migdal said, “We don’t share the specific commercial details of our restaurant partnerships.”
Restaurants set their own offers, though Grubhub recommends a reward tier for each concept. A coffee shop might offer $5, a fast-casual restaurant $8 and a full-service restaurant $20 or more.
“There isn’t a one-size-fits-all offer,” Migdal said. “The only rule is that it has to feel like a real reward, not a coupon. That’s what gets someone off the couch and in person.”
Not a Groupon
When asked about comparisons to Groupon, Migdal pointed to personalization. Grubhub uses card-linking and customer insights to match offers with diners based on where they already spend and the kinds of restaurants they frequent.
“That means restaurants aren’t simply broadcasting offers to a broad audience,” he said.
Migdal described The Drop for restaurants as “a measurable way to reach highly engaged diners, drive incremental visits and encourage repeat business, with insights into offer performance.”
Any eligible restaurant partner in participating markets can join, Grubhub said. The company said success will mean diners returning regularly to try new places and use their rewards, and restaurants gaining new guests and repeat visits.
About Cherryh Cansler
Cherryh Cansler is Publisher of FastCasual.com and Vice President of Connect Food. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.
Connect with Cherryh:
Dining and Cooking