Legislature supports Legislator Lorigo’s effort to cap third party food delivery service fees during a declared emergency like COVID-19

Modified: January 21, 2021 4:02pm

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Thursday, January 21, 2021

Erie County Legislator Joe Lorigo has introduced a resolution in favor of limiting fees food delivery services like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub can collect from restaurants during a declared emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The resolution cleared the Legislature Thursday morning and supports a bill that passed the State Senate and will soon be taken up by the Assembly.

During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, bars and restaurants in Erie County have dealt with months of operating for takeout only. In December, the Minority Caucus introduced a Local Law that would cap the fees that 3rd party food delivery apps may charge at 20 percent to provide some relief for the struggling restaurant industry. This week, a bill with the same intent has been passed by the State Senate and a companion bill is anticipated to come before the Assembly any day now (New York Lawmakers seek to rein in food delivery fees).

Legislator Lorigo said, “This is a timely issue as our local restaurant community is pleading for help. Since I introduced the local law last month, I’ve heard from many restaurants supportive of the effort to cap these fees. I’m encouraged to see our state leadership agrees and I’m proud to lead the way in starting the discussion at a local level. I hope to see this become a statewide law in the coming days and want to provide some badly needed relief for bars and restaurants throughout our community.”