Grubhub Breach Highlights Growing Third-Party Cyber Risks in the Restaurant Industry
In early 2025, Grubhub one of the largest third-party vendors serving the U.S. restaurant sector fell victim to a cyber incident originating from one of its own service providers. The breach underscored a troubling trend: restaurants are increasingly targeted through vulnerabilities in their interconnected digital supply chains.
The problem extends beyond isolated incidents. In September 2024, ethical hackers uncovered "catastrophic" flaws in Restaurant Brands Inc.’s systems, affecting Burger King and Popeyes. These included hard-coded passwords that could disrupt operations, raising concerns that malicious actors may have already exploited similar weaknesses. On average, restaurant breaches go undetected for 212 days, giving attackers ample time to steal payment card data, loyalty program details, and employee records.
The industry’s rapid digitization has expanded its attack surface. Approximately 80% of restaurant transactions are now electronic, with tech powering everything from point-of-sale systems to kitchen management and third-party delivery platforms. However, this reliance on vendors and their vendors creates a high-risk ecosystem. Third-party breaches now account for 30% of all cyber incidents, doubling in the past year.
The financial toll is severe. Hospitality cyber incidents cost between $3.4 million and $3.9 million per breach, driven by lost business, forensic investigations, and regulatory penalties. For individual operators, the impact is even more acute. A mid-sized franchisee with 15 locations faced additional costs after a breach via its payroll provider, including state-mandated notifications, business interruption, and credit monitoring for affected customers.
To mitigate these risks, experts emphasize the need for rigorous vendor audits. Key steps include assessing vendors’ security policies, response plans, staff training, and compliance with standards like SOC and PCI DSS. Contracts should also clarify indemnities, as even robust vendor protections may not fully shield operators from fallout.
Cyber insurance has become a critical safeguard, covering first- and third-party liabilities. However, policies must be carefully structured to address exposures like wire transfer fraud, credit card breaches, and business interruption. The evolving regulatory landscape with varying state laws adds another layer of complexity, as some insurers exclude coverage for emerging compliance risks.
The Grubhub incident serves as a stark reminder: in an industry where digital dependencies are unavoidable, third-party vulnerabilities are a persistent and escalating threat.
Grubhub cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/grubhub-seamless
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/popeyes-louisiana-kitchen
Restaurant Brands International cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/restaurant-brands-international
"id": "GRUPOPRES1769017007",
"linkid": "grubhub-seamless, popeyes-louisiana-kitchen, restaurant-brands-international",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "9/2024",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Restaurant/Delivery',
'location': 'U.S.',
'name': 'Grubhub',
'size': 'Large',
'type': 'Third-Party Vendor'},
{'industry': 'Fast Food',
'location': 'U.S.',
'name': 'Burger King',
'size': 'Large',
'type': 'Restaurant Chain'},
{'industry': 'Fast Food',
'location': 'U.S.',
'name': 'Popeyes',
'size': 'Large',
'type': 'Restaurant Chain'},
{'industry': 'Fast Food',
'name': 'Mid-sized franchisee (15 locations)',
'size': 'Medium',
'type': 'Restaurant Operator'}],
'attack_vector': 'Third-Party Vendor Compromise',
'data_breach': {'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes',
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Payment card data',
'Loyalty program details',
'Employee records']},
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2025',
'description': 'In early 2025, Grubhub, one of the largest third-party '
'vendors serving the U.S. restaurant sector, fell victim to a '
'cyber incident originating from one of its own service '
'providers. The breach underscored a troubling trend: '
'restaurants are increasingly targeted through vulnerabilities '
'in their interconnected digital supply chains.',
'impact': {'data_compromised': 'Payment card data, loyalty program details, '
'employee records',
'financial_loss': '$3.4 million - $3.9 million per breach '
'(industry average)',
'legal_liabilities': 'State-mandated notifications, credit '
'monitoring for affected customers',
'operational_impact': 'Business interruption, forensic '
'investigations, regulatory penalties',
'payment_information_risk': 'High',
'systems_affected': 'Third-party delivery platforms, point-of-sale '
'systems, kitchen management systems'},
'lessons_learned': 'Third-party vulnerabilities are a persistent and '
'escalating threat in the restaurant industry due to '
'interconnected digital supply chains. Rigorous vendor '
'audits, cyber insurance, and compliance with standards '
'like SOC and PCI DSS are critical for mitigation.',
'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': 'Third-party vendor '
'vulnerabilities, hard-coded '
'passwords, lack of rigorous vendor '
'audits, and inadequate '
'cybersecurity measures in the '
"restaurant industry's digital "
'supply chain.'},
'recommendations': ['Conduct rigorous vendor audits assessing security '
'policies, response plans, staff training, and compliance '
'with standards like SOC and PCI DSS.',
'Clarify indemnities in vendor contracts to mitigate '
'fallout from third-party breaches.',
'Structure cyber insurance policies to cover first- and '
'third-party liabilities, including wire transfer fraud, '
'credit card breaches, and business interruption.',
'Enhance monitoring and detection capabilities to reduce '
'the average breach detection time (currently 212 days in '
'the industry).'],
'references': [{'source': 'Ethical hackers (September 2024)'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': 'State-mandated '
'notifications'},
'title': 'Grubhub Breach Highlights Growing Third-Party Cyber Risks in the '
'Restaurant Industry',
'type': 'Data Breach'}