Jollof Bowl is getting its money from Uber Eats, and now owners want to help others

BALTIMORE CITY, Md. — After WMAR-2 News reported that Jollof Bowl was waiting on thousands of dollars in outstanding payments from Uber Eats, the restaurant says it has received most of the money owed — and the story has sparked a wave of similar complaints from other business owners.

Co-owner Lekan Oketunji said Uber Eats became responsive almost immediately after our news coverage aired.

"As immediately as Uber was notified that the news got involved, they wanted to all of a sudden be receptive to our phone calls and emails, they assigned us a new account manager and they've been pretty much responsive, ever since then," Oketunji said.

Oketunji said the community has also rallied around the restaurant.

"People coming by, asking, 'How's everything going with Uber Eats,' and saying they're here specifically to support us, ordering through different channels and making sure we get what we're due," Oketunji said.

He said Uber Eats has since paid a majority of what was owed — but the story has grown beyond Jollof Bowl.

"They paid us a majority of the money, but the issue is that in the meantime, so many other business owners that have been affected by this type of behavior from Uber Eats have reached out," Oketunji said.

Several business owners also commented on WMAR-2 News' Instagram post saying the same thing was happening to them.

"Shops that are local here to the Baltimore metro area have reached out, even as far as Chicago. It's not an anomaly. It's not just about us at this point. We're on a mission to make sure other people in the same situation get their just due as well," Oketunji said.

When WMAR-2 News reached back out to Uber Eats, a representative said over the phone that scams targeting businesses can lead to holds and delays in payment. The representative said business owners should never share passwords or other sensitive information, and that Uber will never ask for it.

Taylor Epps

The representative also said the owners of Jollof Bowl should receive the remainder of their money within one to two weeks.

Oketunji said Jollof Bowl will continue using Uber Eats as a delivery service going forward.

"We're watching every move they make; we're going to make sure and hold them accountable to doing good business. They are a resource that a lot of our customers use, so we're just going to make sure they do the right thing," Oketunji said.

He also had a message for other business owners facing similar issues.

"Now that we've been able to shine some light on the situation, reach out to us and we'll make sure we do whatever we can to support them," Oketunji said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.