SkipTheDishes
SkipTheDishes, also known as Skip, is a Canadian online food-delivery and local-commerce platform operated by Just Eat Takeaway.com.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
SkipTheDishes is a Canadian digital ordering and delivery brand that connects customers with restaurants and, increasingly, grocery, convenience, household and other retail merchants. Customers can place orders through the company's website or mobile applications, receive delivery updates, and review participating restaurants after an order. The brand is headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, although it originated in Saskatoon. The business was founded in 2012 by brothers Josh and Chris Simair. Josh's earlier experience as an investment banker in London helped shape the founders' view that restaurant ordering and delivery could be organized more efficiently through a technology platform. The company was initially bootstrapped, then supported by angel investors, private investors and venture-capital firms. Additional founders, including another Simair brother and two university friends, joined the business during its early growth period. Between 2013 and 2016, Skip expanded across a broad selection of Canadian cities, including markets in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. Its early expansion strategy emphasized mid-sized Canadian cities as well as larger urban areas. The company also entered a number of United States cities, including Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Omaha and St. Louis. This North American expansion established Skip as one of Canada's best-known online restaurant-ordering brands. In December 2016, the United Kingdom-based online takeaway company Just Eat acquired SkipTheDishes for a reported $200 million. Skip remained a distinct consumer-facing brand and retained its Winnipeg headquarters. The acquisition gave Just Eat a substantial Canadian operation and contributed to strong order and revenue growth reported by the parent company. In 2018, Just Eat Canada's web presence was redirected toward SkipTheDishes, reinforcing Skip's role as the principal Canadian brand. Skip also tested adjacent categories. In 2017, it announced experiments with alcohol delivery in Winnipeg, with the intention of assessing broader expansion. In late 2021, it began testing Skip Express Lane in Winnipeg and London, Ontario, delivering household goods and groceries directly to customers. These initiatives reflected a wider shift in delivery platforms from restaurant meals toward convenience and local retail. The company's American operation was withdrawn in March 2019, with its business and drivers transferred to Grubhub. Just Eat merged with Takeaway.com in 2020, creating Just Eat Takeaway.com. Following the combination, Skip adopted the orange color scheme and visual identity associated with Takeaway.com while retaining its established Canadian name. In 2024, the business announced a brand refresh and shortened public-facing name, Skip, to signal that its offer extended beyond restaurant meals to groceries, convenience products and other retail goods. Skip has maintained a high-profile marketing presence through advertising, French-language campaigns in Quebec, loyalty communications and sports partnerships. Its campaigns have included advertisements featuring Jon Hamm, French-language work with comedian Patrick Groulx, a relationship with the Toronto Defiant esports organization and designation as the Canadian Olympic Committee's official food-delivery app. The company has also faced criticism common to platform-based delivery businesses, including concerns about contractor economics, customer service and unresolved complaints. In 2024, parent-company restructuring resulted in the announcement of approximately 800 employee layoffs, including about 700 Canada-based positions.
History
SkipTheDishes was established in Saskatoon in 2012 by brothers Josh and Chris Simair. The founders sought to build a more efficient system for ordering restaurant food online and coordinating deliveries. Josh Simair's previous investment-banking work in London informed the opportunity they saw in connecting restaurants, customers and couriers through a centralized digital network. The enterprise was initially bootstrapped and later raised seed and private capital, including support from angel investors and four venture-capital firms. Several additional co-founders joined between 2012 and 2014, helping the company develop its technology and expand operations. The early business concentrated on Canadian markets that were large enough to support delivery density but less crowded than the country's largest metropolitan areas. From 2013 through 2016, Skip launched in cities across western and central Canada, including Vancouver-area markets, Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto-area markets, Kitchener-Waterloo and Ottawa. The company also experimented with U.S. operations in cities such as Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Omaha and St. Louis. Its headquarters moved to Winnipeg, which remained the center of the Canadian business. Just Eat acquired SkipTheDishes in December 2016 in a transaction reported at $200 million. The Canadian service remained a separate brand and continued to operate from Winnipeg. The acquisition enabled Just Eat to add a rapidly growing Canadian platform to its international takeaway portfolio. In the following period, parent-company management cited increasing order volumes and the inclusion of Skip's business as contributors to growth. By 2018, Just Eat Canada's online presence was directed toward SkipTheDishes. The company subsequently explored categories beyond restaurant meals. In 2017 it tested alcohol delivery in Winnipeg, a product area subject to provincial licensing and other regulatory requirements. In late 2021 it began testing Skip Express Lane, a service for groceries and household products, in Winnipeg and London, Ontario. These initiatives were early signs of a broader local-commerce strategy in which the platform could serve as an on-demand channel for multiple types of merchants. Skip's U.S. activity ended in March 2019, when the company left that market and transferred its operations and drivers to Grubhub. In 2020, Just Eat combined with Takeaway.com to form Just Eat Takeaway.com. Skip later adopted Takeaway.com's orange branding and logo treatment, but preserved its Canadian name and separate market identity. The visual change aligned the service with the wider parent group while limiting disruption to Canadian customer recognition. Marketing became an important part of Skip's consumer positioning. The company used Jon Hamm in Canadian advertising in 2018 and again in a 2024 campaign supporting the brand refresh. It also developed French-language advertising in Quebec featuring comedian Patrick Groulx, including messaging for its loyalty-points program. Other partnerships included a multiyear relationship with the Toronto Defiant esports organization and an official-food-delivery-app designation connected with the Canadian Olympic Committee. In 2024, Skip announced a further shift toward the shorter name Skip, presenting the change as a response to its expansion beyond prepared food into groceries, convenience items and retail products. The same year brought substantial workforce reductions during parent-company restructuring. Like other platform delivery businesses, Skip has received criticism concerning employment models, compensation, customer support and complaint handling. The brand therefore combines strong consumer recognition in Canada with the operational, regulatory and labor challenges associated with app-mediated delivery.
- 2024
Brand refresh and workforce restructuring
[1]Skip introduces a shorter public-facing name and expands its stated proposition, while parent-company restructuring produces substantial layoffs.
- 2021
Skip Express Lane testing
[1]The company tests direct delivery of groceries and household goods in Winnipeg and London, Ontario.
- 2020
Takeaway.com merger and rebrand
[1]Just Eat merges with Takeaway.com, and Skip subsequently adopts the group's orange branding.
- 2019
United States withdrawal
[1]The company exits the U.S. market and transfers its U.S. operations and drivers to Grubhub.
- 2017
Alcohol-delivery experiment
[1]Skip announces a Winnipeg pilot for alcohol delivery and considers wider Canadian availability.
- 2016
Just Eat acquisition
[1]Just Eat acquires SkipTheDishes for a reported $200 million while retaining it as a distinct Canadian brand.
- 2012
SkipTheDishes is founded in Saskatoon
[1]Josh and Chris Simair establish the online restaurant-ordering and delivery business in Saskatoon.
Products and positioning
A Canadian, app-based local-commerce and delivery platform that began with restaurant meals and is expanding into groceries, convenience products, household goods and other retail categories.
Online food ordering · 2012
Skip restaurant marketplace
The core platform allows customers to browse participating restaurants, place orders through mobile applications or a web browser, receive food deliveries and submit post-order restaurant feedback. The marketplace connects restaurants with customers and delivery operations under the Skip brand.
Restaurant delivery · 2012
Skip delivery
Skip's delivery service coordinates the movement of restaurant orders from participating merchants to customers. It became the principal consumer-facing function of the brand as the company expanded from its original Saskatoon base into cities across Canada.
Grocery and household delivery · 2021
Skip Express Lane
Skip Express Lane was tested as an adjacent service for delivering groceries and household products directly to customers. The initial test locations were Winnipeg and London, Ontario, reflecting Skip's effort to broaden its platform beyond prepared meals.
Customer loyalty program
Skip Rewards
Skip's loyalty offering uses points-based messaging to encourage repeat ordering. French-language advertising in Quebec prominently promoted the program under the name Les Récompenses SKIP.
Marketing campaigns
- 2024Skip brand refresh
Canada
Skip revived its Jon Hamm advertising association while presenting a shorter name and a broader offer covering food, groceries, convenience products and retail goods.
Outcome. The refresh repositioned the brand as a wider local-commerce service rather than solely a restaurant-delivery platform.
- 2021Canadian Olympic Committee partnership
Canada
Skip was named the Canadian Olympic Committee's official food-delivery app in a campaign connected with the Olympic cycle.
Outcome. The partnership gave the brand a national sports-marketing platform.
- 2020Toronto Defiant partnership
Canada
Skip entered a multiyear marketing relationship with the Toronto Defiant, an Overwatch League esports team.
Outcome. The partnership associated Skip with Canadian esports audiences.
- 2019French-language Patrick Groulx advertising
Quebec · Canada
Skip began a series of French-language advertisements featuring comedian Patrick Groulx, strengthening its Quebec-facing communications.
Outcome. The campaign continued into later messaging, including promotion of Skip's loyalty-points program.
- 2018Jon Hamm honorary Canadian campaign
Canada
Skip used actor Jon Hamm in advertising that humorously presented him as an honorary Canadian, linking the brand to Canadian cultural identity.
Outcome. The campaign established a recognizable celebrity-led advertising platform that Skip revisited in 2024.
Brand decisions
2024
Shorten the brand name to SkipStrategyBackground
The service had expanded beyond restaurant meals into groceries, convenience goods and other retail categories.
Action taken
SkipTheDishes announced a brand refresh using Skip as its shorter public-facing name.
Aftermath
The naming change was intended to make the brand's broader local-commerce proposition more visible.
2021
Test Skip Express LaneProduct launchBackground
The company was seeking to diversify beyond restaurant meals and use its delivery network for additional everyday purchases.
Action taken
Skip tested direct delivery of groceries and household goods in Winnipeg and London, Ontario.
Aftermath
The test supported the later positioning of Skip as a broader convenience and local-retail platform, although wider rollout details are not established here.
2020
Adopt Takeaway.com brandingGeneration changeBackground
Just Eat merged with Takeaway.com, creating Just Eat Takeaway.com and a larger international brand system.
Action taken
Skip adopted Takeaway.com's orange color scheme and logo treatment while maintaining the SkipTheDishes name.
Aftermath
The Canadian brand gained visual alignment with its parent group without being fully replaced by the Takeaway name.
2019
Exit the United StatesStrategyBackground
Skip had operated in a number of U.S. cities, but the company ultimately chose to discontinue its American presence.
Action taken
Skip transferred its U.S. business and drivers to Grubhub and withdrew from the market.
Aftermath
The brand concentrated its operating focus on Canada.
2016
Accept acquisition by Just EatM&ABackground
Skip had expanded across Canada and into selected U.S. cities but remained a privately funded growth company.
Action taken
Just Eat acquired SkipTheDishes in December 2016 for a reported $200 million, retaining the brand and its Winnipeg headquarters.
Aftermath
Skip became Just Eat's principal Canadian consumer brand and contributed to reported growth in orders and revenue.
Reported acquisition price. $200 million (December 2016)
Recent events
Komo makes plant-based hot-food menu available on SkipTheDishes in Vancouver[2]
Reported:
Komo announced that its plant-based hot-food menu was available in Vancouver, British Columbia, on SkipTheDishes, a Canadian online food-delivery service.
SkipTheDishes and McDonald's Canada partner on free delivery[3]
Reported:
SkipTheDishes and McDonald's Canada partnered to offer free delivery from McDonald's to customers in Metro Vancouver for a limited time, starting April 16. Orders had to exceed the stated $20 minimum to qualify.
Big Brother Canada announces Season 9 sponsors[4]
Reported:
Global announced sponsors for Season 9 of Big Brother Canada, including first-time sponsors SkipTheDishes, TikTok, Sunlight and Weber, as well as returning sponsors OLG, Expedia and Wendy's. The announcement also identifies Muskoka Spirits as a Season 9 sponsor.
- Unconfirmed
SkipTheDishes introduces a 99-cent fee in British Columbia[5]
Reported:
SkipTheDishes is charging customers in British Columbia 99 cents per order while a provincial cap on food-delivery commissions is in effect. The company said the fee is intended to ensure service is not impacted.
Nathan’s Famous expands delivery menu to Victoria, Canada[6]
Reported:
Nathan’s Famous announced that its menu was being expanded to Victoria, Canada, where consumers could order through Uber Eats, DoorDash and SkipTheDishes third-party delivery services.
SkipTheDishes partners with Food Banks Canada for winter charity campaign[7]
Reported:
SkipTheDishes announced a partnership with Food Banks Canada for a winter charity campaign. Skip said it would donate $1 for every order placed on its network on December 19 to Food Banks Canada.
LCBO partners with SkipTheDishes for Toronto alcohol delivery[8]
Reported:
LCBO and SkipTheDishes launched on-demand alcohol delivery in Toronto through the SkipTheDishes app and website, initially serving 15 stores.
SkipTheDishes partners with Wine Rack for Ontario alcohol delivery[9]
Reported:
SkipTheDishes partnered with Wine Rack to deliver alcohol throughout Ontario. Deliveries were scheduled to begin October 29 from 34 Toronto stores, with more than 100 stores across Ontario to follow shortly after launch.
SkipTheDishes offers restaurant partners a 15% commission rebate[10]
Reported:
SkipTheDishes announced a 15% rebate on the commissions paid by restaurant partners for orders placed over the next 30 days. The rebate would be calculated automatically and appear on their statements.
SkipTheDishes suspends cash payment and requires contactless delivery[10]
Reported:
SkipTheDishes suspended cash payments and implemented mandatory contactless delivery for all orders placed on its network.
Showing the 10 most recent.
Sources12 sources
- 1SkipTheDishesen.wikipedia.org
- 2Komo在SkipTheDishes推出温哥华植物基热食菜单finance.yahoo.com
- 3SkipTheDishes 与 McDonald's Canada 合作推出免费配送dailyhive.com
- 4《Big Brother Canada》宣布第九季赞助商newswire.ca
- 5SkipTheDishes在不列颠哥伦比亚省收取99加分费用toronto.citynews.ca
- 6Nathan’s Famous通过外卖将菜单拓展至加拿大维多利亚restaurantmagazine.com
- 7SkipTheDishes与加拿大食品银行合作开展冬季慈善活动newswire.ca
- 8LCBO与SkipTheDishes合作在多伦多提供酒类配送mobilesyrup.com
- 9SkipTheDishes与Wine Rack合作在安大略省配送酒类mobilesyrup.com
- 10SkipTheDishes向餐厅合作伙伴提供15%佣金返还dailyhive.com
- 11SkipTheDishes宣布在阿尔伯塔省三座城市提供酒类配送calgaryherald.com
- 12SkipTheDishes在阿尔伯塔省推出酒类配送globalnews.ca
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