Grub Club
Grub Club was a London-based marketplace for supper clubs and pop-up dining events, founded in 2013 and subsequently acquired and rebranded into Eatwith, a global social dining platform connecting travelers with local hosts across 130+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Grub Club does
Grub Club was a London-based alternative dining platform founded in 2013 that operated as a marketplace for supper clubs and pop-up events hosted by local chefs. Following acquisition by Eatwith, the brand was retired and its hosts and inventory were integrated into Eatwith's global social dining platform, which now operates in 130+ countries and 1,100+ destinations. The platform connects two primary user groups: adventurous travelers seeking authentic local food experiences and local hosts (chefs, food enthusiasts, hospitality providers) who monetize culinary skills through hosted dinners, cooking classes, food tours, brunches, tastings, and supper clubs. The technology stack is a standard two-sided digital marketplace delivered via web and mobile app, with no public API or developer documentation.
The business model is a marketplace commission structure, where the platform takes a cut on each booking and pays hosts directly to their bank accounts two days after the event. Pricing is per-guest unit pricing, ranging from approximately $24 for wine tastings to $180 for premium private dinners, with no subscription tier. Go-to-market is self-serve consumer, supported by content marketing (Eatwith blog), organic social (Instagram @eatwith and @eatwithlondon), email newsletters, and earned media in tier-one travel and lifestyle press (Vogue, Forbes, Huffpost, Lonely Planet, Travel Weekly). The platform differentiates via a $2,000,000 insurance guarantee backed by Lloyd's of London, which reduces counterparty risk for both guests and hosts in a peer-hosted dining model.
Grub Club firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Grub Club
- Website
- https://grubclub.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Grub Club was a London-based marketplace for supper clubs and pop-up dining events, founded in 2013 and subsequently acquired and rebranded into Eatwith, a global social dining platform connecting travelers with local hosts across 130+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Grub Club industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Dining Marketplace
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pop-Up Food Vendors (Temporary Stands/Markets) (THAFAHAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Breakfast & Brunch Fast Casual (THAFABAL)
Keywords
Where Grub Club is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Grub Club business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Others
Revenue model
- Transaction fees / Marketplace commission: Eatwith operates as a marketplace where guests book experiences with local hosts. The platform takes a commission on each booking. Hosts receive payment directly to their bank account two days after the event.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard dinner experiences |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Food tours and walking experiences |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cooking classes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wine and tasting experiences |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Grub Club product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Grub Club, founded in 2013 in London, operated as a marketplace for alternative dining experiences including supper clubs and pop-up events hosted by local chefs. Following acquisition by Eatwith, the brand was merged into Eatwith's global social dining platform, which now connects travelers with vetted local hosts for immersive dinners, cooking classes, food tours, brunches, and tastings across 1,100+ destinations in 130+ countries.
Product overview
Eatwith (formerly Grub Club) is a social dining platform that operates as a marketplace connecting adventurous travelers with local hosts for authentic food experiences. The platform offers a portfolio of services including dinners, cooking classes, food tours, brunches, tastings, and supper clubs across 1,100 destinations in 130+ countries worldwide. The core product centers on immersive, experiential dining where local chefs and hosts welcome travelers into their homes or venues to share meals, culinary skills, and cultural exchange. The platform also provides a trust and insurance infrastructure backed by Lloyd's of London to protect both guests and hosts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Eatwith Social Dining Platform (formerly Grub Club) A marketplace platform that connects travelers with local hosts for authentic food experiences including dinners, cooking classes, food tours, brunches, tastings, and supper clubs across 1,100+ destinations globally.
- Food Tours Guided walking food tours led by local hosts that explore neighborhoods, street food, and hidden culinary gems in cities worldwide.
- Cooking Classes Hands-on culinary lessons with local chefs teaching participants to prepare regional dishes such as pasta-making, sushi, and paella.
- Hosted Dinners Hosted dining experiences at local homes or venues where guests share multi-course meals with hosts and fellow travelers, featuring cultural exchange.
- Supper Clubs Alternative dining experiences featuring multi-course meals, BYOB events, and immersive interactive food experiences hosted by local chefs in London and other cities.
- Brunches Morning to midday dining experiences featuring leisurely meals often with local specialties and social interaction.
- Tastings Wine, food, and culinary tastings led by sommeliers and experts that showcase local beverages and cuisines.
- Eatwith Trust & Insurance Guarantee A $2,000,000 USD insurance guarantee backed by Lloyd's of London covering guests and hosts during experiences.
Quantifiable outcome
- Eatwith insures guests for up to $2,000,000 per experience for peace of mind
Companies that use Grub Club
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Grub Club technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Grub Club partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Grub Club competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Take a Chef: Online platform where users book vetted private chefs for in-home dining experiences worldwide. Comparable host-supply marketplace model and emphasis on curated culinary experiences for travelers and locals.
- Cozymeal: Marketplace for booking private chefs, cooking classes, and food tours across multiple US cities. Directly comparable in marketplace format, host network model, and experiential-dining positioning.
- Withlocals: Marketplace connecting travelers with local hosts for private tours, home dinners, and cooking experiences in European and Asian cities. Directly comparable in product, target customer (inbound travelers), and host-supply model to Grub Club.
- ToursByLocals: Marketplace for booking private guided tours (including food-focused tours) with local hosts in cities worldwide. Comparable in traveler-as-buyer, host-as-supplier, and experience-based booking model.
- VizEat: Predecessor peer in the social-dining space that merged into Eatwith; operated a home-dining marketplace with local hosts across multiple countries. Historical direct competitor and now folded into the same parent platform as Grub Club.
- ClassBento: Online marketplace for booking workshops and classes including cooking classes with local makers. Comparable experience-based marketplace model, host-vetting approach, and consumer-facing booking flow.
- Eatwith: Now Grub Club's parent company; a global social-dining marketplace connecting travelers with local hosts for dinners, cooking classes, food tours, and tastings in 130+ countries. Direct peer because the two are functionally the same platform post-acquisition.
Broad incumbents
- OpenTable: Restaurant reservation and dining marketplace operating globally. Overlaps in connecting diners to eating experiences, but is a broad incumbent focused on restaurant reservations rather than pop-ups and home-hosted supper clubs.
- Resy: Restaurant reservation platform owned by American Express, focused on premium and independent restaurants in major US/international cities. Broad incumbent in the dining-discovery category but not specialized in host-led supper-club or pop-up experiences.
- Airbnb Experiences: Online experiences and services marketplace from Airbnb offering cooking classes, food tours, and host-led dinners globally. A broad incumbent with significantly larger distribution, overlapping social-dining supply, but not specialized in supper clubs/pop-ups.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Grub Club social profiles
Digital presenceGrub Club financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Grub Club leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Grub Club funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Grub Club M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Grub Club
What does Grub Club do?
Grub Club, founded in 2013 in London, operated as a marketplace for alternative dining experiences including supper clubs and pop-up events hosted by local chefs. Following acquisition by Eatwith, the brand was merged into Eatwith's global social dining platform, which now connects travelers with vetted local hosts for immersive dinners, cooking classes, food tours, brunches, and tastings across 1,100+ destinations in 130+ countries.
Is Grub Club a public or private company?
Grub Club is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Grub Club founded?
Grub Club was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Grub Club based?
Grub Club is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Grub Club make money?
One revenue line is on record: transaction fees / Marketplace commission.
Who are Grub Club's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Take a Chef, Cozymeal, Withlocals, ToursByLocals, VizEat, ClassBento and Eatwith. Broad incumbents are OpenTable, Resy and Airbnb Experiences.
Does Grub Club have an API?
No public API is recorded for Grub Club.
What industry is Grub Club in?
Grub Club's product category is Social Dining Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAHAE, Pop-Up Food Vendors (Temporary Stands/Markets), with a secondary code of THAFABAL, Breakfast & Brunch Fast Casual. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.