TORONTO — In a historically male-dominated restaurant industry, DoorDash Canada is helping bridge the opportunity gap for women-owned restaurants via its Made by Women platform. Made by Women is designed to champion women chefs and restaurateurs by providing eligible operators with tangible financial support via $10,000 grants, plus educational and marketing resources.
“We’re proud to celebrate and amplify women-owned restaurants throughout the year, as making room at the table for underserved groups fosters lasting change within the culinary industry over time,” says Shilpa Arora, general manager of DoorDash Canada. “Each of these owners has a unique perspective and experience from growing their business, showcasing the diversity of entrepreneurship within our country.”
DoorDash Canada and Monday Girl are proud to unveil the Made by Women grant recipients, selected after review of each application.
“We’re thrilled to partner with DoorDash Canada on the Made by Women grant program,” says Rachel Wong, co-founder of Monday Girl. “Our collaboration aims to empower women entrepreneurs to thrive in the competitive culinary industry.”
Each awardee successfully outlined how they support their local community, while showcasing how they intend to leverage the grant to support the growth of their women-owned business.
- Adam’s Halal Pub (North York, Ont.)
- Butchie’s (Whitby, Ont.)
- Golden Fries (Ottawa)
- Hudson Bagels (Winnipeg, Man.)
- Joy Sushi (Burnaby, B.C.)
- Kanto by Tita Flips (Toronto)
- La Farniente (Victoriaville, Que.)
- Le Gateau Bakeshop (Vancouver)
- Loukoumaki x Smashed+ (Scarborough, Ont.)
- Na-Re Korean Kitchen (Burnaby, B.C.)
- Nawabs Indian Cuisine (Burlington, Ont.)
- Redchurch Cafe and Gallery (Hamilton, Ont.)
- Sugar Mama’s (St. John’s, Nfld.)
- Suma’s Egyptian Grill (East York, Ont.)
- WangDao Bistro (Morden, Man.)
- Z Bar and Grille (Toronto)
“Before becoming one of Toronto’s first Filipino street-food destinations, Tita Flips first started in the Philippines as a family-run business,” says Diona Joyce, owner of Kanto by Tita Flips. “This grant will not only help me grow my business for years to come, but it’ll also make space for me to continue preserving Filipino culture in Toronto and celebrating the impact that other Canadian women regularly make.”
Furthering educational opportunities for minority-owned Canadian restaurants
As restaurant operators in today’s culinary landscape are required to wear an overwhelming amount of hats to successfully operate, DoorDash Canada is proud to also announce the DoorDash Accelerator for Local Restaurants — a hybrid eight-week program designed to empower Black-owned and women-owned small restaurants.
Restaurants do not need to have a partnership with DoorDash to be eligible, with curriculum including a variety of crucial insights spanning the below categories:
- Foundations: restaurant insights and funding readiness
- Growth tactics: online ordering optimization and marketing recommendations
- Sustained operations: customer service nuances and professional development
Participants will also be provided with one-on-one coaching opportunities, in addition to invitations for in-person networking and growth opportunities. All eligible local, small restaurants are encouraged to apply for the DoorDash Accelerator for Local Restaurants from now through August 18 by reading here, with successful applicants notified by September.
