Claire Kelloway writes about the overwhelming control exerted by delivery apps, and the sustainability of restaurants in the midst of this era.

Today, just four restaurant delivery apps control 98% of all sales; a recently abandoned merger between leaders Uber Eats and Grubhub could have consolidated their power – and the pressure they are able to put on restaurants – even further. The pandemic has revealed that delivery apps’ rising commissions may be too much for many restaurants to bear.

September 22, 2020 update: Three U.S. representatives today called for an investigation into the practices of Uber Eats, Grubhub, and other restaurant delivery apps, noting that ” these delivery platforms’ fee structures and questionable practices have made it hard or impossible for restaurants to remain profitable.”

August 11, 2020 update: A coalition of anti-trust groups today launched the “Protect our Restaurants” campaign, calling on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate anticompetitive practices by Grubhub, Uber Eats, Postmates, and Doordash.

July 6, 2020 update: Uber has reportedly reached a deal to buy Postmates for $2.65 billion.

June 30, 2020 update: Uber today made an offer to buy Postmates, a rival food-delivery app, weeks after its efforts bid to buy Grubhub fell through.

Abdelilah Souada stopped using Grubhub in February. After working with the delivery app on and off for over a decade, the owner of Pizza D’oro in Washington, D.C., says he had “had enough” of Grubhub’s rising commissions and fees. In the worst months, he says, he was paying the company as much as $10,000.

And then COVID-19 turned the restaurant industry upside down. Luckily, Souada already had delivery drivers on staff and just enough time to build up his online presence. “We suffered the first month, but we’re back in business again,” he says. “We’re doing whatever we can and we’re not going to let the big guys crush us.”

Read Claire Kelloway’s article on Civil Eats here.