TORONTO — DoorDash has expanded its Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund across Canada. With recent devastating wildfires across the country, Canadian restaurants who have been drastically impacted by these and other natural disasters will be eligible to apply for $10,000 individual grants.
Administered in partnership with Global Entrepreneurship Network, the program provides restaurants with grants for a variety of important expenses, including payroll for existing employees, developing new products or services, sourcing or expanding inventory, marketing and advertising and general operating expenses, such as utilities or rent. Last year, the U.S. disaster grantees shared in a survey that the relief fund helped 38 per cent of grantees cover payroll, 25 per cent of grantees source or expand inventory and 25 per cent of grantees develop a product or service.
There will be three application windows over the next year for Canadian restaurants to request financial assistance:
- July 5 to September 29, 2023
- October 2 to December 31, 2023
- January 2 to March 29, 2024
Merchant eligibility requirements include experiencing hardship due to a provincially or federally declared natural disaster; operating a brick-and-mortar location; owning three stores or less; employing fewer than 50 employees per location; being open for at least six months; and earning revenues of $3 million or less per location in the last 12 months.
“Restaurants aren’t just places where people get food, they’re pillars of communities across Canada,” says Shilpa Arora, general manager, Canada at DoorDash. “We know the recent wildfires have tragically impacted countless families and small business owners, and we’re proud to do our part to help our local restaurants during these difficult times and in the face of future natural disasters to come.”
“Recent wildfires across Canada have had a devastating impact on restaurants and the communities we serve,” says Kelly Higginson, president and CEO of Restaurants Canada. “These disasters occurred at a time when the industry was already in a crisis. COVID debt and historic inflation have materially impacted profits. Today, nearly half of restaurants are not making money, when compared to 12 per cent pre-pandemic. Grants such as DoorDash’s Disaster Relief Fund will make a meaningful impact on the communities and restaurants affected.”
