News Category: Community Impact

Three LGBTQ+ Restaurateurs Awarded $100K Grants from $2 Million Covid Relief Fund

National LGBT Chamber of Commerce and Grubhub Announce Recipients of String-Free Funds for Struggling Restaurants

CHICAGO, Nov. 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the business voice of the LGBTQ+ community and certifying body for LGBTQ+-owned businesses nationwide, and Grubhub, a leading U.S. food-ordering and delivery marketplace, announced today three recipients of $100,000 grants given by the NGLCC/Grubhub Community Impact Grant Program.

FOODE + Mercantile, Café Gabriela, Pitchers DC and League of Her Own, serving communities in Fredericksburg, Va., Oakland, Calif., and Washington, D.C., were granted $100,000 each at the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) Back to Business (B2B) Summit 2021. These small business owners are among the first recipients of the $2 million COVID-19 relief funds generated by the Chamber in partnership with Grubhub. With the funds, the NGLCC and Grubhub created the NGLCC/Grubhub Community Impact Grant Program to support struggling LGBTQ+ owned and LGBTQ+ ally establishments.

“The impact of COVID-19 has been debilitating for countless restaurant and bar owners, including the many LGBTQ+-owned restaurants across the country who have persisted through lockdowns, operational changes and labor and supply shortages,” said NGLCC Co-Founder and President Justin Nelson. “We’re grateful to have partnered with Grubhub to offer real lifelines to support businesses throughout the nation. America’s 1.4 million LGBTQ+-owned business owners have shown incredible resilience over the past two years, and as we travel along this road to full recovery, we are proud to continue being partners for many in our community.”

“COVID has turned the restaurant industry on its head the last 18 plus months, and at Grubhub, we’ve been working hard every day to support our restaurant partners across the country,” said Amy Healy, vice president of government relations for Grubhub. “As the world starts to return to a new normal, we’re proud to partner with the NGLCC and provide these grants to LGBTQ+ owned and LGBTQ+ ally-owned restaurants across the country that are pillars of their communities.”

Here’s what the grant recipients had to say:

“As a trans-masculine and queer, immigrant person of color, I’ve worked hard and put all my love and energy into building a beautiful and welcoming space in Café Gabriela. I’ve remained resilient through COVID and this grant is the injection of funds that we need to continue along our journey to full recovery,” said Penny Baldado, owner of Café Gabriela.

“Building community in a fun and safe place has been our mission since the very beginning. We’re relieved and thankful for these funds, and are looking forward to more stable days ahead,” said David Perruzza, owner of League of Her Own and Pitchers DC.

“The past 18 months have been some of the most challenging in my career. Restaurant people are resilient people, but we are forever changed, and these funds will be crucial as we continue to evolve with new technologies and tools to help us compete in this new normal,” said Joy Crump, founding partner and chef of FOODE + Mercantile.

The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce and Grubhub partnered for the month of June for Grubhub’s Donate the Change program, where diners could opt-in, round up their order total, and donate the difference to the NGLCC. Applications for the grant program, ranging from $5,000 to $100,000, opened in September. Recipients were selected based on criteria including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their businesses as well as the restaurants’ plans to use the grant money to recover from the pandemic. Following this initial round of recipients, more grants will be issued in late 2021 and early 2022.

These legacy businesses were initial recipients of a grant program intended to help restaurants and bars impacted by COVID-19. Over the past two years, these small business owners have been among the hardest hit by the global pandemic with loss of jobs and income alongside rising operating costs. For more background on each business, how they were impacted by COVID and how they plan to use funding from the grant, visit here.

Of the over 100 grants to be awarded, 30% of the funds available are intended for businesses owned by people of color and transgender/gender non-conforming individuals. In the coming weeks, grant recipients will be notified and a full list of restaurants and bars that received funds will be made available.

For more information on the Community Impact Grant Program please visit www.nglcc.org/ghgrant.

About NGLCC
The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) is the business voice of the LGBT community and is the largest global advocacy organization specifically dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancements for LGBT people. NGLCC is the exclusive certification body for LGBT-owned businesses, known as Certified LGBT Business Enterprise® (Certified LGBTBE®) suppliers.
www.nglcc.org @nglcc

About Grubhub
Grubhub is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com (LSE: JET, AMS: TKWY, NASDAQ: GRUB), a leading global online food delivery marketplace. Dedicated to connecting more than 32 million diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features more than 300,000 restaurant partners in over 4,000 U.S. cities.

Safeguarding Our Efforts to Increase Food Security and Prevent Food Waste

We’ve long embraced our responsibility at Grubhub to use our resources and partnerships to increase the positive impact we can have on the communities we serve. When the pandemic forced the restaurant industry to dramatically change overnight, we doubled down on this commitment, further supporting our restaurant partners and helping them continue to be there for their communities. One of many ways we’ve done this is by purchasing more than three million meals donated to those in need.

A reason why we are able to make this difference is because of a national law called the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act. First signed in 1996, this law encourages donation of food and grocery products – including meals from restaurants – to non-profit organizations for distribution to individuals in need, by protecting organizations from liability as long as their donations are made in good faith. The Emerson Act has not been updated in 25 years, and unfortunately millions of pounds of food and groceries that could help under-served communities still go to waste in this country every year.

Today on Giving Tuesday, U.S. Senators Blumenthal and Toomey introduced the Food Donation Improvement Act of 2021 to modernize the Emerson Act. Expanding and clarifying the existing law for food donation will help us make meaningful progress on the issue of food waste and provide relief to the millions of Americans in our communities experiencing food insecurity. That’s why we urge Congress to pass this Act, and we’ve joined with more than 20 other companies and organizations to support these updates.

With the help of our diners nationwide, Grubhub has provided more than $50 million to charitable causes in recent years, including the following organizations that support restaurants, promote food security and prevent food waste:

  • The Restaurant Strong Fund gives direct financial support to independently-owned SMB restaurants and their employees. Together, we’ve awarded grants to more than 1,300 restaurants across the country.
  • Rescuing Leftover Cuisine is a food rescue non-profit headquartered in New York City, and Grubhub’s donation is used to purchase meals from minority and women-owned restaurants that are donated back into the community to food insecure families.
  • MEANS Database makes it possible to donate food that would have gone to waste from independent restaurants to local emergency feeding services. Grubhub’s donation is used to purchase left-over food from restaurants in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Oakland, Philadelphia, Providence and San Francisco that is donated to underserved communities and those most in need.
  • World Central Kitchen has activated a network of restaurants and food service providers to safely produce individually packaged fresh meals that are delivered to those in need. Grubhub’s donation paid restaurants for these meals and handled delivery logistics in New York City.
  • The Food Bank of New York City provides emergency meals to vulnerable New Yorkers impacted by the economic downturn and COVID pandemic.
  • The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) is the business voice of the LGBTQ+ community and certifying body for LGBTQ+-owned businesses nationwide. In partnership with the NGLCC, we created a grant program for LGBTQ+ and LGBTQ+ ally-owned restaurants.
  • National ACE is the unified voice across the country for the business interests of people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. Together we created the AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund, a grant program that supports AAPI-owned restaurants.
  • The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Educational Fund and Grubhub partnered to distribute grants to Hispanic-owned restaurants throughout its national network.

But our job is not nearly done. An estimated 42 million people are expected to experience food insecurity this year alone. By expanding and clarifying the Emerson Act, we can safeguard and build upon our efforts to provide relief to these millions of Americans in our communities.

Grubhub and Restaurant Strong Fund to Give $4 Million to Restaurants

Independent restaurants in seven cities are eligible for grants ranging from $5,000 – $50,000

CHICAGO and BOSTON, Oct. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Grubhub, a leading global online food delivery marketplace, and The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund, announced they will be giving $4 million in grants to support restaurants across the country that have been working hard to survive the pandemic. Ranging from $5,000 to $50,000, the grants are part of the Restaurant Strong Fund’s All Day campaign and will help restaurant owners fund indoor and outdoor dining improvements, equipment and technology maintenance and upgrades, marketing and promotion efforts, staff hiring and training, Covid-19 compliance, and infrastructure improvements. This is the third restaurant support program Grubhub and The Greg Hill Foundation have partnered together for in the last year.

Restaurants in New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Denver, Baltimore and Portland are encouraged to apply for the grants, which will be funded by donations from Grubhub’s Donate the Change program earlier this year. Through the program, Grubhub and Seamless diners who are opted-in can round up their order total and donate the difference, with the company matching eligible donations from Grubhub+ members. Beginning on October 16, donations from the program will again support the Restaurant Strong Fund through the remainder of 2021.

“We spend a lot of time listening to and talking with our restaurant partners to better understand their needs so that we can be even better partners to them,” said Kevin Kearns, senior vice president of restaurants at Grubhub. “We’ve been hearing that they need support across multiple areas, including hiring and staffing efforts and getting the proper safety equipment for indoor and outdoor dining, and we’re proud to continue working with the Restaurant Strong Fund to provide a much-needed lifeline to restaurants across the country.”

“While the restaurant industry continues to face challenges from the pandemic, we are so fortunate that partners like Grubhub have continued their ongoing support of helping restaurants recover,” said Greg Hill, founder of The Greg Hill Foundation. “We’re excited to be doubling the amount of funding this time around so that together, we can help more local restaurants continue serving their communities.”

Starting October 13 through October 20, the Restaurant Strong Fund will accept grant applications from the first 500 restaurants (with five or fewer locations) located in each of the seven cities. The application period will close on October 20 and grants will be fully distributed to restaurants in mid-November. Interested restaurants can learn more about the grants and how to apply at www.restaurantstrong.org/allday/.

More information and details about the previous grant programs Grubhub and Restaurant Strong Fund have partnered on can be found here and here.

About Grubhub
Grubhub is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com (LSE: JET, AMS: TKWY, NASDAQ: GRUB), a leading global online food delivery marketplace. Dedicated to connecting more than 33 million diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features more than 300,000 restaurant partners in over 4,000 U.S. cities.

About The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund
The Greg Hill Foundation responds to the immediate needs of families that have been touched by tragedy. Since its inception in 2010, the foundation has provided over $15,000,000 in grants to families and individuals in need. The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund was established in March of 2020. The fund was created to help aid the Hospitality Industry as restaurants closed and employees were left out of work due to Covid-19. The Restaurant Strong Fund provides various grant opportunities available to Restaurant Employees and Restaurant Owners.

$2 Million in New Grants Aimed for LGBTQ+-owned and Ally Restaurants

National LGBT Chamber of Commerce Teams Up with Grubhub To Offer String-Free Funds for Struggling Restaurants Impacted by Covid

WASHINGTON and CHICAGO, Sept. 22, 2021 — America’s vulnerable LGBTQ+-owned restaurants and bars serving food will find a vital lifeline this fall stemming from the partnership formed by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) and Grubhub. These small business owners have been among the hardest hit by Covid impact with loss of jobs and income over the past two years.

Grubhub, a leading U.S. food-ordering and delivery marketplace, and the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the business voice of the LGBTQ+ community and certifying body for LGBTQ+-owned businesses nationwide, have opened applications for their NGLCC/Grubhub Community Impact Grant Program. The grants are expected to range from $5,000 to $100,000.

“We often say at NGLCC that ‘If you can buy it, an LGBTQ+-owned business can supply it.’ That is especially true of the LGBTQ+-owned restaurants across America who kept our communities and first responders fed throughout the pandemic. We’re proud to partner with Grubhub in offering these grants to support these businesses throughout the nation. America’s 1.4 million LGBTQ+-owned business owners have shown incredible resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now, in turn, we can help them recover stronger than ever,” said NGLCC Co-Founder and President Justin Nelson.

Throughout June, NGLCC was named the official partner of Grubhub’s Donate the Change program, which has raised tens of millions of dollars for organizations in need since launching in late 2018. The partnership welcomed Grubhub and Seamless diners to opt-in, round up their order total, and donate the difference, with the company matching eligible donations from Grubhub+ members. The proceeds raised will now be made available through NGLCC to support the LGBTQ+ community and LGBTQ+-owned restaurants.

“As the world starts to return to a new normal, we know many businesses are rebuilding and reopening, especially LGBTQ+-owned restaurants that are often the pillars of their communities,” said Kevin Kearns, senior vice president of restaurants at Grubhub. “We’re thrilled to partner with NGLCC and give back to the LGBTQ+ community – one that has shown incredible strength and support for those in need throughout the pandemic.”

Under the innovative grant program, the NGLCC has set a goal to allocate 30 percent of the funds to businesses owned by people of color and transgender/gender non-conforming individuals.

Restaurants wishing to apply for grants should visit www.nglcc.org/ghgrant.

NGLCC and its partners will expertly evaluate applications after the October 12, 2021 closing date. Major grantees will be awarded onstage during the NGLCC Back To Business (B2B) Summit in Hollywood, Florida this November, as well as in local communities.

The NGLCC’s network of more than fifty Affiliate Chambers across America will help amplify this grant opportunity to support local restaurants. Those local chambers will also benefit from this initiative’s newly established “Affiliate Chamber Fund.” This fund will enable any establishment that receives a Community Impact Grant Program that is not currently a member of an NGLCC local affiliate chamber to have one year of membership paid. Additionally, many of NGLCC’s more than 300 corporate partners enhanced their Pride 2021 programming with food orders from Grubhub during their programming with Employee Resource Groups and community partners – a best practice expected to continue throughout future Pride celebrations.

For more information on the Community Impact Grant Program regarding restaurant eligibility requirements, timelines, how to apply, and more, please visit www.nglcc.org/ghgrant.

About NGLCC
The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) is the business voice of the LGBT community and is the largest global advocacy organization specifically dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancements for LGBT people. NGLCC is the exclusive certification body for LGBT-owned businesses, known as Certified LGBT Business Enterprise® (Certified LGBTBE®) suppliers. www.nglcc.org @nglcc

About Grubhub
Grubhub is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com (LSE: JET, AMS: TKWY, NASDAQ: GRUB), a leading global online food delivery marketplace. Dedicated to connecting more than 33 million diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features more than 300,000 restaurant partners in over 4,000 U.S. cities.

National ACE Launches AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund in Partnership with Grubhub to Help Struggling AAPI-owned Restaurants

Independent restaurants across the country can apply for a grant up to $10,000 through AAPISTRONG Restaurant program

CHICAGO and WASHINGTON, D.C., August 4, 2021 — Grubhub, a leading food-delivery marketplace, and National Asian Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship (National ACE) have announced a new grant program to support independent, AAPI-owned restaurants. With the industry facing new challenges post-pandemic, the AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund is available to help restaurants respond to those challenges and recover from the effects of the pandemic through monetary grants, such as paying employees’ wages or repairing damage to the restaurant caused by discrimination or bias.

“Our AAPI-owned restaurants have experienced severe losses throughout the pandemic and even worse, are victims of hate, discrimination, and bias at their place of business,” said Chiling Tong President and CEO of National ACE. “Grubhub’s ongoing commitment to AAPI-owned restaurants is demonstrated by the support they provided during AAPI Heritage Month. The contributions from Grubhub and its diners will provide hope for AAPI restaurant owners that were not eligible for PPP or RRF funds.”

The AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund will be supported with a $2 million donation from their “Donate the Change” program. Throughout the month of May, Grubhub customers opted-in to round up their bill at checkout and donate the difference to support AAPI-owned restaurants, with Grubhub also matching donations from Grubhub+ members. Eligible restaurants across the country will be able to apply for a $10,000 or $8,000 grant with nearly 200 restaurants being awarded in October. AAPI-owned restaurants were among the hardest hit during the pandemic’s early days. By April 2020, roughly half of the Chinese restaurants in the U.S. had closed because of the pandemic, coupled with consumer prejudice and misperceptions.

“The unparalleled diversity of cuisines offered by restaurants is an important part of the cultural fabric of every city across the country,” said Kevin Kearns, senior vice president of restaurants at Grubhub. “While every restaurant has been impacted by the pandemic, the AAPI community and its businesses have experienced a horrific and unacceptable rise in hate crimes and discrimination. That is why we are proud to partner with National ACE to give back to AAPI-owned restaurants that need a little extra help to get back on their feet.”

Starting August 4, 2021 through August 31, 2021, the AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund will accept grant applications from all AAPI-owned restaurants across the country. To qualify for grant assistance, AAPI-owned restaurants must satisfy all of the following requirements: The restaurant must be Asian American/Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian (AAPI) majority-owned (at least 51%), based in the United States, must have been operational in 2019, be currently in operation, show proof of their primary licensed activity as “the preparation and serving of food,” and operate in a maximum of three locations.

Applications will open at 3pm ET on Wednesday, August 4, 2021 via www.NationalACE.org.

The application period will close on August 31, 2021 and grants will be fully distributed to restaurants by early October. Interested restaurants can learn more about the AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund and the full application process at https://www.nationalace.org/aapistrong-restaurant-fund.

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About National ACE

National ACE’s mission is to serve as a strong advocate of AAPI business interests and effect positive change on all issues that enhance and advance the goals and aspirations of AAPI business owners, entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders. With over 70 affiliate chambers of commerce and minority business organization partners throughout the country, National ACE strives to support and promote issues that impact the AAPI business community by improving economic development and impact, advancing coalitions and enhancing community building, and fostering the next generation of AAPI entrepreneurs and executives. National ACE provides a unified voice for the business interests of AAPIs nationally. Learn more at: www.nationalace.org

About Grubhub

Grubhub is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com (LSE: JET, AMS: TKWY, NASDAQ: GRUB), a leading global online food delivery marketplace. Dedicated to connecting more than 33 million diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features more than 300,000 restaurant partners in over 4,000 U.S. cities.

Grubhub Launches “We Serve Restaurants” as Restaurants Reopen Their Doors and Evolve Post-Pandemic

New initiative reignites Grubhub’s long-standing commitment to restaurants, launches with national marketing campaign and builds upon recent product updates and partnerships to help rebuild the industry

CHICAGO, June 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Grubhub today unveiled the company’s latest initiative, “We Serve Restaurants,” a reaffirmation of our commitment to restaurants and support of the industry. Built out of in-depth research with restaurateurs and diners, this initiative marks a return to Grubhub’s roots, helping restaurants build business by leveraging digital tools to enhance diner relationships and drive demand.

“Since my early days knocking on restaurant doors in Chicago more than 15 years ago, Grubhub’s sole focus has been helping restaurants grow. Restaurants were, and always have been, vital to our every day, and now their recovery is crucial,” said Matt Maloney, founder and CEO of Grubhub. “As communities reopen and we enter this next chapter, we’re dedicated to helping restaurants do what they love while successfully building their business.”

“We Serve Restaurants” builds on recent product updates and partnerships, launching with a 360-degree marketing campaign. As its centerpiece, the campaign features a “love letter” to restaurants, a national television spot highlighting the true labor of love that goes into every order. Filmed in pizzerias, burger joints, and white tablecloth fine dining restaurants, the content focuses on the mouth-watering dishes diners know and love, and the care from restaurateurs behind-the-scenes that make them special. In addition to the television spot, the campaign will be brought to life across other channels including social media and out-of-home across the country.

“We Serve Restaurants” was created out of Grubhub’s commitment to put restaurants and their needs first. In conversations and surveys with owners of small- and mid-sized restaurants and diners who use food delivery, we heard eagerness to know more about how Grubhub plans to help the restaurant industry flourish. In response, Grubhub is demonstrating to small and independent restaurants that they are the company’s priority.

In addition to the national marketing campaign, “We Serve Restaurants” encompasses restaurant-focused partnerships and product offerings, including the recently-launched Grubhub Direct, a platform to help independent restaurants better compete online through commission-free ordering and access to customer data, and the Restaurant Stronger grant program with Restaurant Strong Fund. In the weeks to come, Grubhub will announce additional product updates that prioritize the important restaurant-diner relationship.

“We Serve Restaurants” was filmed by Academy Award-nominated American filmmaker and Emmy Award-winning commercial director Henry-Alex Rubin and developed in partnership with 72andSunny and APCO Worldwide.  To view the television spots, visit the Grubhub YouTube page. Restaurants interested in learning more about Grubhub Direct, visit https://get.grubhub.com/grubhub-direct.

About Grubhub
Grubhub (NYSE: GRUB) is a leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace with the largest and most comprehensive network of restaurant partners, as well as 33 million active diners. Dedicated to connecting diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features over 300,000 restaurants and is proud to partner with over 280,000 of these restaurants in over 4,000 U.S. cities. The Grubhub portfolio of brands includes Grubhub, Seamless, LevelUp, AllMenus and MenuPages.

Grubhub And Restaurant Strong Fund Program Gives $2 Million To Help Restaurants Reopen

Independent restaurants in more than a dozen cities across the country can apply for a $5,000 Restaurant Stronger grant

CHICAGO and BOSTON, May 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Grubhub, a leading food-ordering and delivery marketplace, and The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund announced the latest phase in their commitment to supporting restaurants: the Restaurant Stronger program, a new initiative to provide $5,000 grants to eligible independent restaurants. As the industry faces new challenges post-pandemic, the Restaurant Stronger grants will help restaurants fully reopen their doors, including staff hiring and training, COVID-related requirements, and inventory purchasing.

“Over the last 14 months, the support that Grubhub has given to the restaurant community has been extraordinary,” said Greg Hill, Founder of The Greg Hill Foundation. “They have ensured that the Restaurant Strong Fund was able to provide millions of dollars in grants to restaurants and their employees to help them survive. This next step will help the industry with what is hopefully a final step toward getting back to their normal.”

The Restaurant Stronger Grant program will be supported with a $2 million donation recommended from the Grubhub Community Relief Fund (GCRF), a donor-advised fund created by Grubhub to support charitable organizations helping restaurants, drivers and those in need impacted by COVID-19. This second phase of the program follows the Winterization Grants launched late last year from a $2 million donation that funded grants to nearly 200 independent restaurants. Upon being awarded one of the Winterization Grants, the team at S&G Restaurant in Chicago said, “This allowed us to keep the current employees we brought back on this summer and to give them an opportunity to earn a little during the holidays. I cannot tell you how opportune this grant was.”

“As we start to see the country open up after more than a year of uncertainty, we’re focused on supporting our restaurant partners as they are welcomed back into their communities in full,” said Kevin Kearns, senior vice president of restaurants at Grubhub. “However, we know that reopening comes with its own expenses, so it’s important for us to come together with the Restaurant Strong Fund again to help lift up the industry in this next, and hopefully final, phase of returning to our new normal post-pandemic.”

Starting May 25 through June 5, the Restaurant Strong Fund will accept grant applications from all restaurants with five or fewer locations in Atlanta, the San Francisco Bay Area (San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley), Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, the Los Angeles area (Los Angeles, Anaheim, Long Beach), New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. The application period will close on June 5 and grants will be fully distributed to restaurants by June 11. Interested restaurants can learn more about the Restaurant Stronger Grant program and the full application process at https://www.restaurantstrong.org/restaurantstronger.

About The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund
The Greg Hill Foundation responds to the immediate needs of families that have been touched by tragedy. Since its inception in 2010, the foundation has provided over $11,000,000 in grants to families and individuals in need. With more than 1 million restaurants in the U.S. employing over 15 million people nationwide, the foundation created the Restaurant Strong Fund to be able to assist restaurant owners and employees who have been impacted by Covid-19.

About Grubhub
Grubhub (NYSE: GRUB) is a leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace with the largest and most comprehensive network of restaurant partners, as well as 33 million active diners. Dedicated to connecting diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features over 300,000 restaurants and is proud to partner with over 280,000 of these restaurants in over 4,000 U.S. cities. The Grubhub portfolio of brands includes Grubhub, Seamless, LevelUp, AllMenus and MenuPages.

 

Grubhub Expands Commitment to Women Culinary Leaders Through Partnerships with World Central Kitchen and Women Business Collaborative in Fourth Year of RestaurantHER

CHICAGO, March 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — In recognition of Women’s History Month, Grubhub is strengthening and expanding its commitment to grow the number of women-led restaurants, especially those impacted by COVID. It was four years ago with the creation of RestaurantHER that Grubhub first started using its technology platform to drive change and respond to the issues facing women in the restaurant industry. The company pledged to champion and support women-led restaurants, raise awareness about inequality in the industry and help improve things for the better.

As Grubhub kicks off its fourth year of RestaurantHER, we’re working with World Central Kitchen (WCK) and the Women Business Collaborative (WBC) to support and help amplify our ongoing efforts for women in the culinary industry.

RestaurantHER comes this year as women have lost the most jobs during the pandemic. In January 2021, women were still down 5.4 million jobs, which makes up 55 percent of total jobs lost. The restaurant industry was among those most impacted by COVID, and a majority of the workforce are women. Before COVID, female restaurant workers (especially owners and chefs) struggled to grow due to lack of sponsorship, funding and even workplace harassment. As a result, there are fewer women at the leadership level in restaurants. And now those numbers are dwindling even further.

“We are hopeful that across the country, RestaurantHER will spark a movement of support for women-owned and operated restaurants,” said Devry Boughner Vorwerk, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Grubhub. “Women restaurateurs are highly capable business leaders in the industry, and they often face barriers that their male counterparts do not. This month, and every month, at Grubhub, we want to shine a light on women-led restaurants and all the benefits these women bring to their communities through their dedication, their creativity and their cuisine.”

Since Grubhub began the RestaurantHER initiative in 2018, we’ve seen talented and aspiring chefs who have been able to succeed in part because of the resources and programs of RestaurantHER. Our incredible partners and diners have played a significant role in helping Grubhub work toward change. We worked with organizations such as the James Beard Foundation and Women Chefs & Restaurateurs to provide grants and tools for female chefs and culinary leaders to navigate and address the specific challenges they face in the industry. Additionally, Grubhub created a RestaurantHER map where diners can find a women-led restaurant near them.

To continue our efforts, Grubhub is supporting World Central Kitchen‘s Restaurants for the People program and specifically restaurants that are women-owned and operated. Grubhub will support these efforts through the Donate the Change program during Women’s History Month, where diners are invited to join us in helping these women. Grubhub’s Donate the Change feature allows diners who opt-in to round up their change on every order. All proceeds will go to World Central Kitchen to provide nourishing meals to help vulnerable communities impacted by the pandemic. Last year, Grubhub diners across the country generously donated a total of $21 million to support various organizations and communities in need through Donate the Change.

“We are grateful for Grubhub’s support and belief in our mission, and recognition that restaurants are a key part of the solution to the ongoing health, economic, and humanitarian crises. Their support will specifically help women-owned and operated restaurants that are a part of our Restaurants for the People program, which pays restaurants directly to help keep their business afloat while also providing tens of thousands of meals to people in need,” said Erin Gore, Vice President of Development at World Central Kitchen.

Grubhub is also excited to kick off a partnership with the Women Business Collaborative, an alliance of more than 44 women business organizations and thousands of individuals who are committed to gender equality in the workplace. Together, we’ll raise awareness and encourage Americans to support local women-owned restaurants throughout the month of March and throughout the year. We’ll also form an advisory board in 2021 composed of female restaurant owners to discuss issues in the industry and ways Grubhub and others can help.

“The time is now for all of us to commit to order from women-owned restaurants and tell the stories of our support in every community across this nation. We are devoted to this effort with RestaurantHER and Grubhub,” added Edie Fraser, CEO of Women Business Collaborative.

World Central Kitchen will also be Grubhub’s donation partner for our popular virtual concert series Sound Bites, which will feature performances by Megan Thee Stallion, Noah Cyrus and King Princess. Fans tuning in will be encouraged to scan customized QR codes that will pop up throughout the show to receive special discounts and Perks, along with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from King Princess. For every QR code scanned at one point during the live stream, Grubhub will donate $1 (up to $100,000) to World Central Kitchen. The free Sound Bites concert will take place on Friday, March 26 at 7 p.m. ET on the Grubhub YouTube channel.

Grubhub’s commitment to support women in the restaurant industry will continue as long as it takes to see equality, and we hope our community of diners will join us by supporting female chefs and owners, and their delicious culinary creations, year-round. Visit the Grubhub app, Grubhub.com or RestaurantHER.com to find a women-led restaurant near you.

About Grubhub
Grubhub (NYSE: GRUB) is a leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace with the largest and most comprehensive network of restaurant partners, as well as over 31 million active diners. Dedicated to connecting diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features over 300,000 restaurants and is proud to partner with over 265,000 of these restaurants in over 4,000 U.S. cities. The Grubhub portfolio of brands includes Grubhub, Seamless, LevelUp, AllMenus and MenuPages.

Grubhub Joining Effort to Cut Out Cutlery

Today Grubhub is officially joining the #CutOutCutlery campaign and committing to dramatically reducing the number of single-use plastics that enter the environment. In the coming months the Grubhub app and website will begin automatically defaulting to zero utensils and napkins with every order. While diners will still be able to request plasticware when needed, the move will generate significant savings for restaurants across the country.

“As we advance sustainable business practices across Grubhub and our industry, this important step will keep millions of unneeded pieces of single-use plastic out of the environment,” Devry Boughner Vorwerk, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, said. “We look forward to building on this commitment to sustainability in partnership with the diners and restaurants who rely on Grubhub every day.”

This action by Grubhub will remove millions of pieces of plastic cutlery from entering the environment annually. According to HabitsofWaste.org, organizer of the #CutOutCutlery campaign, 40,000,000,000 pieces of plastic cutlery end up in the waste stream per year, polluting our oceans and harming sea life. Sheila Morovati, Founder and CEO of Habits of Waste and #CutOutCutlery, has been a key partner to Grubhub as we have worked to develop this important sustainability feature.

“We applaud Grubhub for taking a significant step in dramatically reducing the amount of single-use plastic that ends up as unwanted waste and litter in our communities,” Morovati said. “Our partnership with Grubhub is a stellar example of how a system can be modified to change behavior, ultimately creating a new norm that automatically reduces waste and increases sustainability.”

Beyond the environmental benefits, removing plasticware is also another way Grubhub and our diners can generate cost savings for restaurants at a time when they need it most. Research has found that restaurants can save potentially thousands of dollars annually by reducing how much plasticware they use. The move is an important step in the journey Grubhub is embarking on towards more sustainable business practices.

Grubhub Announces Driver Grant Program Recipients

Back in December, we announced our Driver Grant Program — an initiative that supports drivers who are creating meaningful change in their communities through education, civic engagement, and philanthropic work. Since applications first opened, we received submissions from delivery partners across the country who allowed us a glimpse into their lives and their passions for making a difference within their communities.

We were overwhelmed by the stories that poured in and read countless submissions that touched us — from people serving those less fortunate in their communities, to providing mentorship opportunities and resources for local youth, to drawing attention to the link between deforestation and food insecurity. Every submission had one common theme: our delivery partners have huge hearts and an unwavering drive to help others.

“It was absolutely inspiring to see the many responses and countless examples of valuable work from our drivers across the country. We’re proud that this program will be a stepping stone for drivers who are making positive change within their communities,” said Eric Ferguson, Grubhub’s chief operations officer. “We’re looking forward to seeing all the great things drivers do with these grants and continuing our efforts this year to fund what fuels our drivers.”

Today, we’re excited to announce the first 20 recipients of this program and how they plan to use their $10,000 grants:

Bill R. — Huntington, WV
With this grant money, Bill plans to help upgrade Kiwanis Daycare — which serves low-income children and is the oldest continuously operating daycare in West Virginia.

BriYanna G. — Cleveland, OH
BriYanna plans to use the grant money to build and maintain a website for Ravenella — a marketplace she created for people to support Black-owned fashion lines.

Chad E. — Chicago, IL
Passionate about art, Chad will rent an art studio space to mentor youth in the Chicago area and feed their artistic passions, including graphic design and audio production. He would also like to purchase a screen printing machine and 3D printer so the artists he mentors can make their own products.

Destiny P. — Detroit, MI
Destiny plans to continue her work with local no-kill and animal rescue shelters by funding more reliable transportation for injured dogs and cats so that they can be cared for.

Joanna L. — Pittsburgh, PA
Joanna will use her grant to support Cup-A-Jo Productions — an artists’ collaborative theater she founded that explores non-traditional venues and mixes theatre with film, dance, music and poetry.

Joanne D. — California, MD
Joanne plans to use the grant to purchase additional food for a local nonprofit, S.O.L.D.I.E.R.S OUTREACH — Kids Eat Free.

Judy H. — Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
Using her grant funds, Judy will expand her work to help the homeless population in her area, including increasing her budget to provide more supplies.

Kendal M. — Covington, GA 
Kendal will use his grant to donate and fund additional academic scholarships through The Brother Sister Campaign — a nonprofit organization he founded that’s dedicated to promoting growth and hope to underserved children.

Mary D. — Colorado Springs, CO
Mary plans to use the grant money to fund a retreat for Finding Our Voices — a nonprofit that empowers survivors of sexual assault to thrive by offering creative activities and healing events.

Mike B.  — Birmingham, AL
With the grant, Mike plans to purchase supplies and other resources for his high school students and complete his master’s degree in English.

Musasizi J. — Chicago, IL
Musasizi plans to use the grant money to facilitate campaigns that encourage and educate people to shift from using firewood and charcoal fuels to liquefied petroleum gas in developing parts of the world, where deforestation is impacting food security.

Nicholas S. — Houston, TX
Nicholas plans to expand his personal training and fitness business, including opening a larger fitness facility where he can continue to offer personalized training while also offering a general open space for people looking to train by themselves.

Peter A. — Poughkeepsie, NY
Peter plans to use his grant to support his two communities: Poughkeepsie, New York and Kuna, Kamagambo, Kenya. In Poughkeepsie, he will provide supplies, including winter coats and food, for the local homeless population. And in Kuna, he will work toward building a library and a learning center.

Pousbila O.  — St. Louis, MO
Pousbila will support the African Youth Development Foundation, in addition to helping cover the cost of school registration fees, and health and food plans for vulnerable children in Burkina Faso throughout the school year.

Romel D. — Jacksonville, FL
Romel runs The Jax Tutor —  a tutoring company focused on math, and he’ll use the funds to promote the service and reach more students.

Rosalie J.  — Jeffersonville, IN
Rosalie plans to use the grant money to grow her business that she uses to help fund warm clothing to local children in need and finish paying off her master’s degree in early childhood education.

Simple K. — Virginia Beach, VA
Simple, who runs a mentorship program called Arise Africa, will use the grant money to build a school and buy supplies for the children in his program.

Tameka W. — Evansville, IN
Tameka plans to use the grant to support the Inner City Youth Basketball League for Kids and fund a center for Mother’s Holdin’ It Down — a group she started to connect with other single mothers, share resources and provide support to local families in need.

Terrell B. — Davenport, IA 
Terrell plans to use the grant to establish a community resource for supporting personal and spiritual development.

Theresa N. — Indianapolis, IN
Theresa will use the grant funds to purchase a food truck so that she can feed men and women in her community who are less fortunate and share her ministry with them.

The good news keeps on coming…

Remember how we said we were overwhelmed by the stories from our delivery partners that poured in? There was no shortage of amazing submissions that touched us, and we’re excited to announce today that we’re giving an additional 10 recipients grants thanks to our diners who tweeted their support of our drivers with our #lovedelivered efforts in February. When diners showed their love, we supported the Driver Grant Program with $1 per tweet up to $100,000.

Meet our additional 10 recipients below and read how they plan to use the grant money to drive change in their communities!

Alyssa L. — Bel Air/Aberdeen, MD
A single mom to four kids, Alyssa has a heart for children and a passion for social work. She will use the grant money to continue her education and get a degree in social work.

Imari R. — Chesterfield, MI
Imari plans to use her grant money to launch the Random Love Project—an initiative that will support the homeless population in Michigan through the gifting of free meals and grocery stipends.

Jeffrey J. — Portland, OR
A photographer and filmmaker, Jeffrey finds purpose by connecting those in his community with nature, especially during these challenging times when mental health is so important. An avid fly fisher in his spare time, Jeffrey plans to use the grant money to create an informative video series of the best places to fish in Portland and the surrounding area in hopes other people find enjoyment in the sport as well during these times.

Jillian K. — Seattle, WA
Jillian is the founder of Ginger Gears, a robotics education company that works to combat underrepresentation in the STEAM field. With the grant money, Jillian wants to invest in workshop space for classes, camps and training for Ginger Gears students.

Jonah K. — Detroit, MI
Currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in religious studies, Jonah wants to use the grant money to conduct research about the religious minority communities in the Middle East and Eastern Europe and fund his doctorate degree in the field.

Jonathan M. — Des Moines, IA
With this grant money, Jonathan will pursue his dream of getting a Secondary Education Teaching certificate so that he can teach mentally challenged and disabled children in his community.

Kevin S. — Wilkes-Barre, PA
Kevin will use the grant money to create a permanent home for Diamond City Sports’ youth and adult flag football leagues and renovate their wiffle ball field.

Mohammad D. — Milwaukee, WI
Passionate about cooking, Mohammad will use the grant money to purchase a food truck so that he can spread his love for cooking with others in nearby communities.

Robert H. — Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
With this grant money, Robert plans to get his non-profit that helps homeless veterans off of the ground through marketing and website development so that he can spread its message and reach more people in need.

Timothy C. — Richmond, VA
A middle school counselor, Timothy will use this money to fund programs for students at his school who are interested in STEM.

Check back in the spring for more information on our next round of grants and application details. If you’re interested in driving with us you can learn more at driver.grubhub.com.