TORONTO — DoorDash has revealed the Canadian winners of its COVID-19 Restaurant Relief Grants.
The program is part of the company’s five year, US$200-million Main Street Strong Pledge — an initiative meant to empower local business across Canada and the U.S.
“Restaurants have faced unprecedented challenges in the last year and DoorDash is proud to support them,” says David London, director, U.S. East and Canada Government Relations, DoorDash. “It is our hope that these grants will help restaurants as they continue to navigate the challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis.”
The grants given to the winners total more than $1 million and were handed out to restaurants in Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto. Each of the selected restaurants will receive $3,000 to help offset the costs of operating in the pandemic environment.
The company, Hello Alice, managed the application and selection processes, while the Ontario Chamber of Commerce is in charge of distribution of funds to the recipients.
Some of the winners include: Ojo Sushi, Mon Shing and Freres Restaurant form Montreal; Mira Mira, Après and Dope as Duck from Toronto; and iTofu, Kokomo and Nosh from Vancouver.
“I’m so incredibly thankful for the DoorDash Local Restaurants Grant. This couldn’t have come at a better time. We are trying to gear up for the warmer months by making the experience even more safe and pleasant for our customers. This money will help greatly for improving safety infrastructures and the outdoor patio-dining experience,” says Amira Becarevic of Mira Mira in Toronto.
In addition to the grants, all restaurants that applied will receive free access to the Hello Alice platform, which offers tools and resources such as the COVID-19 Restaurant Resource Center and peer-to-peer networking.
“We are excited to see the DoorDash grant recipients receive this much-needed financial support and to put it into action…Connecting businesses with locally-minded grants that serve our local neighbourhoods is extremely valuable in COVID-times,” says Ian Tostenson, president and CEO, British Columbia Restaurants and Foodservices Association.
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce will begin grant distribution in March, with all restaurants receiving their grant by early-April. The full lit of recipients can be found here.
