Joy Kim, owner of Kyoto Teriyaki in Seattle, received about $40,000 from Uber Eats for almost 1,500 orders that had been pending since November 2025. Uber Eats said the hold was due to required identity verification and released the funds after completing the check in late July. Kim and her manager criticized the company’s communication and tone but plan to keep using the service because it remains a vital revenue source.
Seattle Restaurateur Receives $40,000 From Uber Eats After Months-Long Payment Hold
Kyoto Teriyaki's owner received $40,000 in delayed payments from Uber EatsCredit: Google Maps; Getty
A Seattle restaurant owner, Joy Kim of Kyoto Teriyaki, has finally received approximately $40,000 from Uber Eats for nearly 1,500 orders that had been unpaid since November 2025.
Kim told Fox 13 Seattle she spent months trying to collect the funds, exchanging emails with support and updating bank details in her account without success. She said company representatives repeatedly told her others were handling the issue but the payments were not released.
Uber Eats Response
An Uber Eats spokesperson told PEOPLE the delay occurred because the platform required "additional identity verification to help protect the security of the merchant's account before funds could be released." The company said there were multiple attempts to contact Kim to coordinate the verification and that in some cases they were unable to connect with her.
(Stock Image) A spokesperson for Uber Eats told PEOPLE the owner has received all of her outstanding paymentsCredit: Mike Kemp/Getty
"Once we were able to reach the merchant and complete the verification process in late July, we then moved forward with processing the outstanding payment," the spokesperson said. Uber Eats confirmed that Kim has now received all outstanding payments.
Owner's Experience and Next Steps
Despite the resolution, Kim's son and manager, Jhoonho Kim, told Fox 13 Seattle that his mother was sometimes spoken to "somewhat condescendingly" by company staff and that the payments were not released at first despite following the prescribed steps. Joy Kim said she has worked with Uber Eats since before the COVID-19 pandemic and plans to continue using the platform because local customers still order daily.
"This has left a very sour taste in our mouth about using Uber," Jhoonho said, "but if we stopped using Uber, we'd lose an important revenue stream."
Sources: Fox 13 Seattle; PEOPLE.
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