132-Year-Old Deli Katz’s Launches Its Own Delivery Service, Sidestepping Third-Party Apps

Katz’s launches its own delivery service this week

NYC institution Katz’s has launched its own local delivery service this week, eschewing third-party sites like Grubhub and Uber Eats, Bowery Boogie reports. Diners are now able to find Katz’s familiar menu, including its wildly popular pastrami sandwich, the rueben, potato latkes, and matzoh ball soup, available on the restaurant’s website to order directly for delivery across the city. Delivery orders are priced on a sliding scale based on distance from the restaurant.

Katz’s had previously tried out delivery services on a number of third-party platforms, including Seamless, owner Jake Dell tells Bowery Boogie. But the restaurant had to up its prices for delivery in order to cover the staggering fees that the third-party services would charge, and those price hikes felt especially disingenuous during the pandemic, he said.

Other NYC restaurants have gone in a similar direction amid the pandemic. Downtown hotspot Golden Diner set up delivery through point-of-sale system Toast in recent weeks, and encourages its customers not to order through third-party platforms. Caribbean restaurant Negril in Park Slope pulled itself off Grubhub last month and launched its own app for delivery.

In other news

— Shake Shack says that its Theater District location — once the top-performing restaurant out of all of the brand’s locations — is now the burger chain’s worst-selling store as Broadway remains shut down during the pandemic.

— Upscale Italian chain Il Mulino in the Hamptons has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, alongside six other non-NYC locations.

— 10-month-old Midtown spot Il Fiorista has reopened for business as a floral boutique and cafe with pastries and snacks open from Wednesday to Sunday beginning at 12 p.m. The restaurant is also doing outdoor dining from Wednesday to Saturday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

— How longstanding, family-owned Harlem spot Famous Fish Market is staying in operation through the pandemic.

— Upper East Side spot Nello’s has lost its liquor license due to social-distancing violations. The restaurant was previously in hot water earlier this year when several former employees claimed they never received recent paychecks totaling more than $4,000.

— José Andrés’ Spanish Diner, part of Mercado Little Spain at Hudson Yards, is offering outdoor dining starting today, according to a spokesperson. The space will be open from Thursday to Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., serving stews, salads, gazpacho, an all-day breakfast plate with fried eggs and potatoes, and more.

— Historic pub Fraunces Tavern in the Financial District reopens for outdoor dining starting at 12 p.m. tomorrow. The bar is also bringing back weekly trivia nights online, starting at the end of August.

— A pre-pandemic memory: