In a 2026 survey of U.S. adults, 42% said they order delivery or takeout through apps at least once a week. A Grubhub listing can put your menu in front of those customers, but signing up is only the first part of getting ready to take orders.
You also need to choose a plan that works for your margins, set up payment and menu details, and test how an order reaches your team. This guide walks through the current Grubhub for Restaurants process, from the first form to going live. The screens and terms you see in your own account may vary, so check your agreement before you confirm a plan.
Key insights
- Start at Grubhub for Restaurants, then complete the activation tasks in your merchant account before opening to customers
- Grubhub’s public Marketplace plans list marketing commissions, while processing and applicable delivery fees are additional
- Review your menu, hours, payment setup and order workflow, then send a test order before you go live
- Once you add other ordering channels, keep menu availability and incoming tickets consistent across them
What you need before signing up
Gather your restaurant name, address, contact details, menu, prices, hours and food photos. You will also need the tax and banking information used for payment setup. Decide who will manage your account and whether you plan to use your own drivers, Grubhub Delivery or both. Grubhub’s restaurant signup page starts with a short form; the remaining setup happens after you receive access to your merchant account.
Check that your delivery menu is realistic for your kitchen. Remove dishes that do not travel well, make modifiers clear, and decide how your team will mark an item unavailable during service.
How to sign up your restaurant on Grubhub in 7 steps
1. Open the restaurant signup form
Go to Grubhub for Restaurants and enter the requested business and contact information. This is the merchant application, not the consumer app or Grubhub for Business corporate meal program. If your restaurant is already listed or you already have an account, use the existing merchant sign-in or contact Grubhub before creating a duplicate.
Tip: Use an email address that your managers can access and monitor during onboarding.
2. Review the plan and fulfillment choices
Compare the marketing commission and the customer-facing delivery fee for each plan. Then choose whether orders will use your drivers, Grubhub’s drivers or a combination. Pickup is available with the listed fulfillment options. Read the terms shown in your signup flow and estimate your margin after food, packaging, labor, marketing commission, processing and any applicable delivery cost.
Tip: Run the numbers on a typical order and a small order; a fixed processing charge affects the smaller ticket more.
3. Create your merchant admin login
After signup, Grubhub sends an activation email. Use its instructions to set a password and sign in to the Grubhub for Restaurants admin account. The “Get started” area tracks the tasks required before your storefront can launch. If a teammate will finish setup, add that person through the account rather than sharing your password.
Tip: Save the merchant sign-in and verify that more than one authorized person can access the account when needed.
4. Set up payments and restaurant details
In the activation checklist, complete payment setup, including the W-9 information, bank connection and payment frequency requested by Grubhub. Review your storefront hours and add photos where useful. Confirm that the address, phone number and pickup instructions match what your staff and drivers will use.
Tip: Make sure the bank and tax information matches your business records to avoid payout delays.
5. Review your menu and order setup
Check every item, price, modifier, category and photo before launch. Grubhub says its menu team builds the menu during self-activation, and its dashboard shows menu and integration status. If you connect a point-of-sale system or another order tool, follow the integration instructions in your account and confirm which device or screen will receive orders.
Tip: Place a staff member in charge of menu changes so sold-out items and holiday hours do not linger on the listing.
6. Send and confirm a test order
Use “Send a test order” from Grubhub’s “Get started” page. Find the ticket in your order workflow, confirm it, and check the item details, prep time and handoff instructions. A successful test checks the path from the guest-facing menu to the kitchen before a real customer depends on it.
Tip: Include a modifier and a pickup or delivery instruction in the test so your team can spot missing details.
7. Go live and watch the first orders
After the test succeeds, select “Go live” in the activation flow. Grubhub says you can start taking orders immediately or schedule a future launch. Check your public listing on a phone, then watch the first real orders for acceptance, prep time, item availability and driver or customer handoff. Review your first payment statement against the agreement you selected.
Tip: Choose a launch shift when a manager can watch incoming orders and fix menu or workflow issues quickly.
When you are ready to open another marketplace, use our separate Uber Eats restaurant signup guide for that platform’s steps.
How much does Grubhub charge restaurants?
Grubhub says there is no Marketplace signup fee or ongoing platform maintenance fee. Its public plan table lists the following marketing commissions. These are not the full cost of a prepaid delivery order: processing and applicable delivery fees are additional, and rates can vary by market or agreement.
Marketplace plan | Public marketing commission | What to compare |
|---|---|---|
Basic | 5% | Standard customer delivery fee |
Plus | 15% | Lower customer delivery fee |
All-access | 20% | Lowest customer delivery fee |
Grubhub Delivery starts at an additional 10% on its public pricing page. Self-delivery avoids that delivery fee but leaves you responsible for your own drivers. Review the full Grubhub pricing page and your merchant agreement for processing fees, local rules, promotions and any negotiated terms.
What to check after your Grubhub listing goes live
- Listing: Search for your restaurant as a customer and check its name, address, hours, photos, menu and ordering link
- Orders: Confirm that your team sees and accepts every ticket promptly, including orders with modifiers
- Availability: Test how quickly a sold-out item or changed hour appears on the live storefront
- Fulfillment: Check prep times, pickup instructions and driver handoff at the counter
- Payments: Compare your first statement with the rates and fees in your agreement
Use the early orders to refine your menu and handoff process. If you add multiple delivery marketplaces, our guide to third-party delivery partnerships explains how to assess each channel beyond its headline commission.
Keep Grubhub orders manageable alongside other channels
A new marketplace should not force your staff to learn a separate routine for every ticket. Otter Order Manager brings orders from Grubhub and other connected delivery apps into one place, while Otter Menu Management helps you update menus and availability across channels. Set up and test each integration before relying on it during service.
Karina Carmona, Operations Manager at Taqueria La Estrella in Vallejo, California, described the value of a shared workflow: “We get our direct orders and our delivery app orders in the same tablet, with the same procedure.”
Grubhub can help customers find you. Your own ordering channel can give regulars another way to come back. Our guide to how online ordering works explains the difference between a marketplace order and a direct order, including who owns the checkout and customer relationship.
Make the first Grubhub order as smooth as the signup
The form gets your restaurant into Grubhub’s onboarding flow. A good launch depends on the work after it: understanding the fees, checking the menu and payment details, testing the ticket path and watching the first live orders. Keep those checks in your opening routine as your hours, dishes and delivery volume change.
If you want a simpler way to handle orders from Grubhub and your other channels, book a demo with Otter to see the order workflow in action.
Frequently asked questions about how to sign up your restaurant on Grubhub
Is there a fee to sign up my restaurant on Grubhub?
Grubhub says there is no signup fee to list on its Marketplace. It charges a marketing commission on orders, and payment processing and applicable delivery fees are separate. Review the terms shown for your restaurant before choosing a plan.
What information do I need to sign up?
Have your restaurant and contact information, menu, hours and photos ready. During activation, Grubhub also asks you to complete payment setup, including tax and bank details. The exact prompts in your account can vary.
Can I use my own drivers for Grubhub orders?
Yes. Grubhub’s public pricing page describes self-delivery, Grubhub Delivery and supplemental delivery options. Compare the cost and operational responsibility of each against your existing driver capacity before selecting a fulfillment setup.
How long does it take to go live?
The timing depends on completing your account tasks, menu setup, any integration and a successful test order. Grubhub says its menu team can typically take two to three days to build a menu during self-activation, but that is not a guaranteed launch time. The dashboard shows your remaining tasks, and you can choose an immediate or scheduled launch after the test succeeds.
Can I manage Grubhub and other delivery apps together?
Yes, if your order management system supports the channels and your integrations are active. Otter Order Manager can consolidate connected delivery app orders into one workflow. Test each channel before launch and keep an eye on menu availability and order acceptance afterward.
Manage Grubhub orders with Otter