In an effort to ease the frustration of extra charges when ordering food at home, Grubhub has launched a new campaign featuring George Clooney to spotlight their decision to waive delivery and service fees on orders above $50. This initiative debuted during the Super Bowl broadcast on February 8, aiming to reshape customer expectations around ordering costs.
Details Behind Grubhub’s Fee Waiver Announcement
The commercial, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, unfolds at an extravagant dinner party where the host questions who will take on the burden of the fees. As guests decline, Clooney boldly declares, “Grubhub will eat the fees,” triggering surprise and cheers. Following this, a voiceover confirms that Grubhub will no longer charge delivery or service fees for restaurant orders exceeding $50, marking a permanent policy change.
Marnie Kain, Grubhub’s vice president and head of brand marketing, emphasized that this move is a substantial shift in the company’s strategy.
“The Super Bowl is really our launching pad for a category disrupting benefit,”
Kain said.
“This is a fundamental change to how we’re going to market.”
Financial Impact and Strategic Purpose of the Fee Elimination
Kain explained that Grubhub is fully absorbing these fees, rather than passing costs onto restaurant partners.
“This is not something we’re passing along to our restaurant partners. We are literally eating the fees,”
she stated. While acknowledging that this approach involves a financial sacrifice, Grubhub aims to attract more users and boost order volumes by offering unmatched value in the food delivery market.
“We are offering value to them that is really unprecedented in the category,”
Kain added.
Competitive Context and User Growth Challenges
This aggressive approach comes as Grubhub struggles to maintain its market position behind rivals DoorDash and Uber Eats. Since 2021, Grubhub’s monthly active users have stagnated; in 2025, active users decreased by 20% year-over-year to 8 million, according to Sensor Tower. By comparison, DoorDash and Uber Eats reported 49 million and 21 million monthly active users respectively last year.
While Uber Eats also participated in Super Bowl advertising on February 8, DoorDash chose not to air a commercial this year. Instacart, partnered with both Grubhub and Uber Eats, launched its own Super Bowl spot, although it operates in the grocery delivery space rather than competing directly for restaurant orders.
Ownership and Recent Business Developments
Founded in 2004, Grubhub completed its initial public offering in 2014 and was acquired by Just Eat Takeaway.com in 2020. In January 2025, the Wonder Group, led by Marc Lore, finalized the purchase of Grubhub. Prior to this fee-waiving initiative, Amazon Prime members benefited from reduced fees through a 2024 partnership that offered complimentary Grubhub+ membership, the app’s loyalty program, as part of their Prime subscription.
Advertising Campaign and Market Implications
The 30-second commercial, developed by the agency Anomaly, aired during the third quarter of NBC’s Super Bowl broadcast, a high-stakes platform emphasizing Grubhub’s commitment to tackling consumer dissatisfaction with hidden fees. This move signals an attempt to reposition Grubhub by putting customers before profits amid a competitive and fee-sensitive environment in food delivery.
Grubhub’s strategy to absorb delivery and service fees for orders over $50 aims to enhance the platform’s appeal and spur growth. Whether this fee waiver succeeds in increasing Grubhub’s market share remains a key development to watch as the company faces ongoing challenges from larger competitors.
