Benchmark Pizzeria

Groupon Reactivated an Eight-Year-Old Coupon Without This East Bay Pizzeria’s Consent | Eater SF

"A small East Bay wood-fired pizza restaurant in Kensington, CA, Benchmark Pizzeria makes wood-fired pizzas from natural starter and serves antipasti, soft-serve, and local wines and beers on tap. I learned from owner Melissa Swanson that the restaurant’s ingredient-focused Cal-Italian style didn’t mesh with bargain-seeking Groupon customers back in 2013, who tended to want the biggest pizza for the lowest price and left slightly disgruntled. Last week Groupon allegedly reactivated that same 2013 voucher ($20 for a $40 meal or $40 for an $80 meal) without the owners’ consent, sold seven vouchers marked “dine-in only” despite Bay Area lockdowns, and sent angry customers to the restaurant—some refused to pay or only bought half their order, forcing food to be thrown away. After difficulty reaching support, Groupon removed the coupon, refunded the seven vouchers, deleted Benchmark’s account, and called the launch “inadvertent” (a rep later said an earlier explanation “misspoke”), but Swanson worries about potential Yelp reviews and sees this as part of a troubling pattern of platforms making changes or listings for restaurants without permission (she previously dealt with Grubhub posting a fake listing and menu)." - Luke Tsai