§ 48–651. Definitions.

For the purposes of this chapter, the term:

(1) "Agreement" means the written contract between a restaurant and a third-party meal delivery platform required by this chapter.

(2) "Core delivery service" means a service that lists a restaurant and makes the restaurant discoverable on all modalities or platforms offered by a third-party meal delivery platform, including any website, mobile application, or other internet service where a third-party meal delivery platform lists restaurants and facilitates or performs the delivery through employees or independent contractors of the third-party meal delivery platform of food or beverages from restaurants to customers. The term "core delivery service" does not include any other service that may be provided by a third-party meal delivery platform to a restaurant, including advertising or other promotional services, search engine optimization, business consulting, or credit card processing.

(2A) "Food delivery worker" means any natural person or any organization composed of no more than one natural person, whether or not incorporated or employing a trade name, who is hired, retained, or engaged as an independent contractor by a third-party meal delivery platform.

(3) "Online order" means a food or beverage order placed by a customer through a third-party meal delivery platform for delivery or pickup from a restaurant in the District of Columbia.

(4) "Purchase price" means the menu price of an online order, excluding taxes, gratuities, or any other fees that may make up the total cost to the customer of an online order.

(5) "Restaurant" means an establishment that is held out to and known by the public as a food-service establishment.  The term includes an establishment defined in § 25-101(43) and (52).

(6) "Third-party meal delivery platform" means any website, mobile application, or other internet service that offers or arranges for the sale of food and beverages prepared by, and the same-day delivery, and the same-day delivery or same-day pickup of food and beverages from, restaurants.

(7) "URL" (Uniform Resource Locator) means a web address.