Yesterday, nearly 900 restaurants signed onto a letter sent to NYC Council Members urging them to oppose the Bigger Fees for Big Delivery Bill, which the big delivery companies are lobbying heavily for that will gut the very important third-party delivery fee cap and allow them to once again charge unlimited so-called “marketing fees” to local restaurants. Restaurants are taking action because they don’t want to see fees double, triple, or even more than quadruple! 

If you want to add your name to the letter and stay informed of this hot topic CLICK HERE!

SAY NO TO INT. 0813 THE BIGGER FEES FOR BIG DELIVERY BILL

Dear NYC Council Member:

The undersigned are contacting you as nearly *900 restaurant owners and operators across the five boroughs urging you to reject Int 0813, the Bigger Fees for Big Delivery Bill, which removes the very important cap on third party deliveries charges sponsored by Council Member Robert F. Holden.

Countless restaurants across NYC, especially small, minority and immigrant owned businesses are still struggling to recover from the damage caused to the industry by the pandemic. We cannot afford to go back to the days of exploitative so-called shady “marketing fees” from delivery companies. I urge you, do NOT pass the Bigger Fees for Big Delivery Bill because you will be responsible for the unnecessary and arbitrary fees they will force local restaurants to pay while we’re still fighting to pay the rent and keep New Yorkers employed.  

There is an aggressive lobbying campaign alleging there is a grassroots campaign to get rid of the fee cap from restaurants and community groups, however it is being funded and coordinated by a major delivery company that stands to benefit greatly. This campaign is misleading and does not represent our interests as a restaurant owner. 

I strongly oppose this bill as it will create even more expenses for restaurants like mine while benefiting the multi-billion-dollar delivery industry. If the City Council passes this bill, it will affect independent restaurants in NYC and disproportionately harm smaller, immigrant owned businesses as it creates a pay to play for restaurant delivery that’s now an essential service thousands of restaurants rely on. 

Plus, the City Council should not consider this bill while the third-party delivery companies are currently suing the City to overturn the fee cap law and suing you to overturn the law you passed requiring them to provide us with our own restaurants’ customer information, which they now withhold from us so they can better control the marketplace. Additionally, this bill is not urgent as later this year the City will release a report required by the Council, detailing the impact of the fee cap so to properly inform your policymaking.

THAT’S WHY WE URGE YOU TO SAY NO TO INT. 0813 THE BIGGER FEES FOR BIG DELIVERY BILL

This delivery company legislation would do great damage to the comprehensive independent restaurant industry reforms that City Council passed during the Covid-19 pandemic aimed at protecting restaurants like mine. 

We hope to partner with the City Council and even delivery companies on proposing fresh new ideas and fairer fee structures that will actually support local restaurants in New York City.

We urge you City Council Member to strongly reject Int 0813 the BIGGER FEES FOR BIG DELIVERY BILL.

We thank you for your consideration.

*The undersigned represent nearly 900 restaurants across the five boroughs, some of which operate additional establishments under the same or different restaurant names, while others oppose but did not want to publicly list their name for fear of retaliation from third-party delivery companies. These restaurant names were gathered quickly and we believe there are thousands more just like them who strongly oppose Int 0813 the BIGGER FEES FOR BIG DELIVERY BILL!