UPDATE 7: 2/24/26 9:30AM EST
Service reopening at 10:30am - continued delays expected today
We are resuming service at 10:30am today. While we hope couriers are rested and show up in larger quantities than we've seen the last two days, it is still possible less than usual may show up because of poor road conditions.
Below are a few action points we kindly ask for your cooperation on:
1. Please treat couriers working today with kindness and grace; turnout will be much lower than usual but we appreciate those brave enough to work in these conditions.
2. ETAS must be set to no lower than 100 minutes to properly align customer expectations.
3. Please shrink your delivery zone if possible - orders over 1.5 miles will likely not be accepted by couriers in these conditions and so they should be voided/cancelled on your end before you prepare them if you're not able to adjust your delivery zone. You can expect our team to void these manually if we see anything going well above this distance.
4. Please delay food prep - preparing an order due in 100 minutes as soon as you receive it will result in its getting cold.
If it becomes as busy as yesterday, accounts that are clearly not collaborating with the above will have service suspended until their volume is cleared out. As a reminder, we will not be able to refund orders today not aligned with our request for collaboration. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work through these winter storm conditions.
Please continue to watch your banner/email for updates.
Thank you,
Relay
NYC/NJ UPDATE 6: 2/23/26 (4:15PM EST)
Delivery service paused this evening until at least 10:30am EST tomorrow
A number of accounts were manually paused on our end today for failing to collaborate with the guidelines we shared for service today.
Despite our aggressive bonusing and the collaboration of many partners to properly align customer expectations, it has become clear that we will not be able to continue operations for the rest of today.
We request that you please pause all ordering for the rest of the day starting no later than 5pm EST. All orders processed after 5pm EST will not be delivered. We will plan to reopen tomorrow at 11:00am EST.
We ask for your collaboration in voiding/cancelling orders you have over 1.5 miles as our couriers will not be able to deliver those at this time.
We deeply appreciate the efforts of all the couriers who did brave these conditions and attempted to work today.
Please continue to follow https://www.relay.delivery/servicealerts for updates and instruct your staff to review directives as set on your Relay dashboard.
Thank you,
Team Relay
UPDATE 5: 2/23/26 (10:20AM EST)
Service reopening at 11 - massive delays expected today
Good morning,
We are resuming service at 11am today. Please note that there is a real chance service may be suspended again today given the conditions outside.
Below are a few action points we kindly ask for your cooperation on:
1. Please treat couriers working today with kindness and grace; turnout will be much lower than usual but we appreciate those brave enough to work in these conditions.
2. ETAS must be set to no lower than 100 minutes to properly align customer expectations.
3. Please shrink your delivery zone if possible - orders over 1.5 miles will likely not be accepted by couriers in these conditions and so they should be voided/cancelled on your end before you prepare them if you're not able to adjust your delivery zone.
4. Please delay food prep - preparing an order due in 100 minutes as soon as you receive it will result in its getting cold.
As a reminder, we will not be able to refund orders today not aligned with our request for collaboration. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work through these winter storm conditions.
Please continue to watch your banner/email for updates.
Thank you,
Relay
UPDATE 4: 2/22/26 (6:30PM EST)
NYC/NJ: Delivery service paused this evening until at least 11am EST
Good evening,
Due to arrival of the blizzard here in NYC, we will be pausing operations earlier than usual. Road conditions will be poor throughout the evening and with the city’s travel ban in effect, we must align on courier safety.
We ask that you please pause all orders for delivery no later than 7:30pm EST. Orders processed after this time will not be fulfilled. We expect to remain paused until at least 11AM EST Monday, potentially longer depending on condition.
We will continue to update you if there are any changes to this timeline.
Thank you,
Relay
Philadelphia - notified at 7:00PM
Good evening,
Due to poor weather conditions, we will be pausing operations earlier than usual. Road conditions will be poor throughout the evening and we must align on courier safety.
We ask that you please pause all orders for delivery no later than 8:00pm EST. Orders processed after this time will not be fulfilled. We expect to remain paused until at least 11AM EST Monday, potentially longer depending on condition.
We will continue to update you if there are any changes to this timeline.
Thank you,
DC - notified at 8:00PM EST
Relay
Good evening,
Due to poor weather conditions, we will be pausing operations earlier than usual. Road conditions will be poor throughout the evening and we must align on courier safety.
We ask that you please pause all orders for delivery no later than 9:00pm EST. Orders processed after this time will not be fulfilled. We expect to remain paused until at least 11AM EST Monday, potentially longer depending on condition.
We will continue to update you if there are any changes to this timeline.
Thank you,
Relay
UPDATE 3: 2/22/26 (11:40AM EST)
ETAS must be increased while we remain online
The snow has arrived and delays should be expected from this point so long as we remain online.
Please instruct your teams to follow instructions as set on dashboard. These are the directives while we remain online:
1. ETAS must be set to no lower than 100 minutes
2. Please minimize delivery zones where possible - further distance orders will likely be rejected by couriers and we cannot assume responsibility for that given the forecast. We advise not preparing/canceling orders over 2 miles if you cannot adjust your delivery zone.
3. Do not prepare orders due in 100 minutes as soon as you receive them. Delay food prep to ensure food does not get cold while waiting for a courier to accept your offer (s).
Please continue to monitor your relay dashboard for any service related updates.
Thank you,
Team Relay
UPDATE 2: 2/21/26 (11:40AM EST)
Service update - forecast changed to blizzard, may result in Relay closure
The forecast has been upgraded to be a blizzard warning.
As of now, we plan to remain open but please note there is a real possibility that it may reach a point where couriers on bicycles are not able to move around. If this happens, we will be sending out a notice to stop receiving orders and will shut down our operations until the roads are clear.
Please instruct your team to keep an eye out for banner updates — we will also be sending those here via email. Here are some action items to keep in mind:
1. We ask that if you do remain open, that ETAs are set to at least 90 minutes to properly align customer expectations.
2.We also ask that you please create a smaller delivery zone if possible. Given the DCWP's legislation on max distance settings, please note that customers who order from further away (especially over 2 miles) are unlikely to receive their orders and so those should be cancelled/voided if you're not able to adjust your delivery zone on Sunday and Monday.
3. Finally, do not prepare food due in 90-120 minutes as soon as you receive an order. That order will sit out and get cold until a courier is able to accept the order for pickup.
Failure to collaborate on this will likely lead to customer refund requests we will not be able to honor.
Thank you,
Team Relay
UPDATE 1: 2/20/26 (3:0PM EST)
Notice: preparing for another incoming winter storm
Dear Partners,
Forecasts are predicting potential snowfall this Sunday and Monday (February 22-23). This inclement weather will lead to dangerous working conditions and may lead many couriers to opt out of deliveries.
Out of an abundance of caution and to properly align customer expectations—especially as we anticipate surges in order volume—we ask that you please increase your delivery ETAs accordingly on Sunday and Monday.
These adjusted ETAs must remain in place through Monday evening. Specific timing guidelines will be posted on your dashboard. Failure to update ETAs will likely result in increased customer refund requests that we will not be able to cover.
Thankfully the forecast for next week does look warmer, so we shouldn't see a repeat of roads in poor conditions for multiple days as we saw during the last storm. We thank you for your continued collaboration and understanding.
Thank you,
Team Relay
UPDATE 2: 2/7/26 (4:20PM EST)
Important Service Announcement - Increase ETAs until Monday
Dear Partners,
We are currently experiencing extremely cold temperatures, particularly when accounting for wind chill, which creates dangerous working conditions and may lead many couriers to opt out of deliveries.
Out of an abundance of caution and to properly align customer expectations—especially as we anticipate surges in order volume—we ask that you please increase your delivery ETAs accordingly.
These adjusted ETAs must remain in place through Monday. Specific timing guidelines will be posted on your dashboard. Failure to update ETAs will likely result in increased customer refund requests that we will not be able to cover.
Thank you for your continued collaboration as we work through what we hope is the tail end of a very cold winter.
Thank you,
Team Relay
UPDATE 1: 2/5/26 (6:15pm EST)
Preparing for Super Bowl Sunday 2026!
Dear Partners,
Super Bowl Sunday is almost here! In an effort to address any concerns you may have, we're writing to let you know that we're preparing for the big game day. That being said, we have two major notes to share:
1. Extreme cold temperatures and their impact on rider supply:
The forecast for Sunday calls for temperatures that are well below freezing, which may discourage couriers from showing up. Keeping this in mind we will be incentivizing couriers with bonuses throughout the day, but please be mindful of potential delays due to lower than usual rider supply, which will be communicated via your dashboard.
2. On the importance of aligning customer expectations:
During the Super Bowl, we see many of our partners get overwhelmed with the spike in volume and end up getting too backed up to fulfill orders on time. This often results in multiple cancelations. Please ensure you increase your ETAs so that customers have realistic expectations about when they're going to receive their food, and understand it's okay to pause ordering on your platforms while you catch up with demand. We want these orders to be delivered fresh and on time — and customers who have their expectations aligned are more likely to be understanding about delays!
So long as you ensure your team manages customer expectations properly should you experience large surges in volume (which is always best handled by having ETAs reflect the increase in volume and wait time / pausing ordering when you have too many orders to fulfill) and courier supply remains steady despite the freezing cold, the day should be a great success! We genuinely look forward to another successful Super Bowl Sunday.
Thank you,
Team Relay
UPDATE 5: 2/1/26 (4:10pm EST)
Update on continued delays (2/1)
Good afternoon,
We appreciate all of you for your continued collaboration in properly aligning customer expectations by following dashboard instructions. Thankfully this weather won't stay like this forever.
Please continue to expect delays as the city thaws, and we'll continue to do our best to get your food picked up as quickly as possible.
As a note, please ensure you're also delaying food prep if your ETAs are increased, so food doesn't sit out long while waiting for couriers to accept offers. Thank you!
UPDATE 4: 1/26/26 (6:10pm EST)
Delays expected rest of this week - ensure ETAS are increased to at least 90 minutes
Good evening,
We appreciate all of you who cooperated in properly aligning customer expectations today by adjusting your ETAs. As many of you may have noticed, roads are still in terrible condition and will likely remain that way since freezing temperatures will prevent snow from melting off the streets.
Couriers will be very slow to move until bike paths are properly cleared, so please ensure you follow directives as stated in your Relay dashboard. Failure to do this will inevitably result in customers asking for refunds we will not be able to cover.
We will continue to keep you updated via the banners on your Relay dashboard. Another large winter storm is forecast for next weekend, and we will send communications about that as the week progresses because it is still too soon to understand its full impact.
UPDATE 3: 1/25/26 (8:40pm EST)
Delays expected all day tomorrow (1/26) - ensure ETAS are increased to minimum of 90 minutes
Good evening,
Please note that it will take the city time to clean streets so that they are safe to navigate again, so extensive delays are expected tomorrow (1/26).
Please ensure your ETAs are set to be no lower than 90 minutes to properly align customer expectations. Failure to do this will result in customers asking for refunds we will not be able to cover. We will continue to keep you updated on courier availability as the city recovers from the storm.
UPDATE 2: 1/25/26 (3pm EST): Turn off Ordering
Good afternoon,
Conditions continue to worsen and we will not have sufficient couriers online to offer dinner service.
We ask that you stop online ordering for delivery now, and instead enable pickup service only so consumers near you can pick up takeout if they would like food. Relay will stop accepting new deliveries shortly.
Our available couriers will remain online to clear out any orders you currently have as they become available and accept offers, but note that long distance deliveries are likely not going to be accepted by couriers.
UPDATE 1: 1/22/26 (12:30pm EST): Encouraging pausing ordering
Good afternoon,
The area is being hit hard by snow, and soon that will turn into slush/ice which will lead to dangerous road conditions for all couriers but especially those on bicycles. Given the freezing temperatures and roads that should be near impossible to navigate, it is looking like a high rate of couriers will opt not to show up today and so we are strongly encouraging that ordering be paused (or switched to pick up so consumers close to you can pick up their food if they want to eat take out today).
Please continue to watch the banners on your dashboard for updates. Thank you.
INITIAL OUTREACH 1/22/26 (12pm EST):
Dear Partners,
Next week's forecast starting on Sunday January 25th calls for a potential winter snowstorm that may dump several inches of snow/ice on the city followed by a week of freezing temperatures that will result in dangerous road conditions for nearly the entire week. These conditions will lead to delays as couriers will be slower to move for their safety and many may choose not to work. We encourage you to ensure your ETAs are no lower than 90 minutes during peak storm hours, and to consider closing if you see couriers are not being dispatched.
We will do our best to maintain operations if the blizzard actually lands but cannot guarantee reliable service if it snows as much as forecast. Couriers will and should always prioritize their own safety and only the bravest will show up to work. Should you choose to remain open in blizzard conditions, we ask for kindness and patience as orders are possibly picked up. ETAs should be set to at least 90 minutes, or ordering should be paused if you see couriers are not being dispatched.
Please note that during periods of delays, our customer service team may be much slower to respond since their ticket volume will increase — we kindly request that you limit outbound messages to troubleshooting issues (such as asking where orders were left) as requests for couriers will not be responded to.
We appreciate your patience and partnership and will continue to work to ensure the coming days are as successful as possible.
Thank you,
Team Relay