DoorDash Providing $10,000 Grants To Help Restaurants Rebound From Natural Disasters

DoorDash is providing $10,000 grants to restaurants hit by natural disasters such as fires, floods, and hurricanes to help them recover.

The food delivery company is uniting with technology firm Hello Alice to create the Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund.

Roughly 40 percent of small businesses are not able to reopen after a disaster, based on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The fresh relief fund aspires to trim the financial burden on small businesses after a state or federally-declared natural disaster by aiming to provide some longevity.

The grants can be applied to cover operating costs after a natural disaster. The funding can go toward rent or mortgage payments, food and beverage inventory, utilities, supplies and materials, and supplier costs. Restaurants are not required to have a partnership with DoorDash to pursue grants.

To be eligible, restaurants must meet multiple requirements. For instance, they must be experiencing hardship due to a state or federally declared natural disaster. They must have a brick-and-mortar site, with three stores or less now operating. Restaurants must have revenues of $3 million or less per location in the last 12 months and have 50 employees or fewer per store.

DoorDash initiated the program in November 2021 to support restaurants suffering from Hurricane Ida and California wildfires. The effort is tied to the company’s $200 million Main Street Strong vow to back businesses and communities. Now, the program is being enlarged for restaurants.

In general, natural disasters can be a major hardship for small businesses such as restaurants. They can potentially force eateries to close or lead to an unpredictable recovery period. Small businesses, unlike larger companies, often may not have the financial resources to rebound as quickly.

Hello Alice reports the average small business loses $3,000 every day they remain closed due to a natural disaster. A recent national study showed that African Americans were among those “less likely than others to be at least minimally prepared for disasters,” according to Science Daily.

Black-owned restaurants for years have been vital to their communities for support and entrepreneurship.

All restaurants are encouraged to seek grants. To gain more details and apply, click here.