Grubhub promises its customers convenience by letting them order food from their favorite restaurants and have it delivered to their address.
When a restaurant says it’s closed on Grubhub, this convenience becomes harder to achieve, which is why we looked into what that means, so keep reading for more facts!
Why Does Grubhub Say “Closed” In [currentyear]?
Grubhub says closed when the time is past a restaurant’s official operating hours in [currentyear]. Restaurants that make their food available on Grubhub have a tablet that they use to state usual working hours and the system automatically changes their status depending on what time it is. Restaurants also have the option to change their Grubhub status manually.
To learn all you need to know about the “Closed” status on Grubhub, including the different scenarios where it happens, what to do about it, and more, read on!
Why Does Grubhub Say a Restaurant Is Closed When It Is Open?
If Grubhub says a restaurant is closed, but you know that the physical location is open, it’s because the people working at the restaurant have changed their Grubhub status to “Closed.”
Grubhub issues every restaurant that signs up for its platform a tablet that they can use to control different aspects of their operations, including their status as closed or open.
Restaurants can set their operating hours so the status automatically changes depending on what time it is, but they also have the option to change it to what they want whenever they want.
In this case, it might say closed because said restaurant has received too many orders from Grubhub and is trying to limit access to fulfill the backlog.
Sometimes restaurants close, both on Grubhub and at their physical locations, during normal working hours due to other reasons like bad weather.
If a restaurant says closed on Grubhub when you would expect them to be open, it could also be the result of a holiday that’s not widely observed.
If a restaurant on Grubhub says it’s closed right after you placed your order and you’re worried that it won’t be delivered, the restaurant usually has a plan for these kinds of things.
Most of the time, these places serve Grubhub drivers picking up orders. Other possible ways this is handled are discussed later in this article.
Why Is Grubhub Saying Everything Is Closed?
If Grubhub says everything is closed, it’s likely because all the restaurants in your area have shut down for the night and there aren’t any 24/7 options nearby.
Grubhub has a 70 mile radius as the maximum range that restaurants can set for deliveries, but this can also be set lower.
Therefore, such an instance might influence whether a specific restaurant shows up in your searches, even if they operate 24/7.
This is usually something that happens in rural areas where most restaurants can’t justify operating late into the night.
Sometimes Grubhub might say everything is closed during extremely bad weather conditions like tornadoes or hurricanes.
If the event hasn’t started yet, dig around for storm warnings in your area.
What Do I Do When Grubhub Says a Restaurant Is Closed?
If Grubhub says a restaurant is closed, the only thing you can do is keep looking for other options that are open.
If you were really hoping to order from the location that says it’s closed, and you don’t want or can’t get food from elsewhere, you can only wait until they open and the app indicates as such.
If you’re a driver, Grubhub has protocols for when a restaurant says it’s closed but you accepted an order from the location:
- Re-read the pickup instructions for specific guidelines you may have missed
- Go to the drive-thru and tell them you’re picking up an order since this part of the restaurant already bags up food like you would deliver it
- Look around the restaurant for instructions like telling delivery drivers to use a different entrance or asking you to knock when the doors are closed but the staff is still inside
- Call the restaurant using the number listed in Grubhub and ask for instructions on how to proceed
If none of the above work, you can use the Grubhub app to report the closure as follows:
- Open the app and navigate to either the “Arrived” or “Got order” screen and tap the “There’s a problem” button that’s available on both
- Select “Restaurant is closed”
- Follow the instructions and prompts, and attach a brief note plus some pictures to accompany the report
Does Grubhub Pay If the Restaurant Is Closed?
Grubhub will pay if the restaurant is closed.
When you report that the restaurant is closed using the process detailed above, you will be eligible for a bonus “Cancel Pay” and it won’t affect your acceptance rate.
When Does Grubhub Open?
Grubhub is a 24/7 delivery service meaning it neither opens nor closes.
In practice, however, when Grubhub opens or closes depends on where you are because this determines how long restaurants operate and how many drivers are available at different times.
If you’re in a rural area, then Grubhub will functionally open during normal working hours or later and will close in the late evening.
In a densely populated area like a major city, Grubhub is always open and will functionally never close because there are 24/7 restaurants and a steady supply of drivers even late at night.
To know more, you can also read our posts on who owns Grubhub, does Grubhub deliver alcohol, and how to rate Grubhub drivers.
Conclusion
If Grubhub says closed, it’s because it’s past the restaurant’s operating hours and their status has updated automatically. It might also be because the restaurant staff have changed their Grubhub status to stop additional orders from coming in when they’re swamped.
When a restaurant is closed, Grubhub drivers should try to get the attention of staff if they’re still inside by knocking, calling or going to the drive-thru. If they can’t they can report the closure and be eligible for Cancel Pay.
