To help restaurants recover in times of critical need, DoorDash has partnered with Hello Alice to create the $1 million Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund that will provide $10,000 grants to restaurants impacted by natural disasters.
Applications for the Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund open on Monday, Nov. 1 at doordash.helloalice.com. Restaurant owners and operators nationwide who are experiencing hardship due to a state or federally declared natural disaster may be eligible for aid, including New Jersey restaurants in counties impacted by severe flooding from Hurricane Ida in September.
DoorDash has launched this initiative as part of its ongoing five-year, $200 million Main Street Strong pledge to empower local communities. To start, this initiative, grants of $10,000 each will be awarded to 100 eligible restaurants.
“Restaurants are at the heart of Main Street and they have exhibited immense resiliency when disaster strikes, providing for their communities even when their resources on hand are limited,” said Tasia Hawkins, Social Impact Program Lead at DoorDash.
“The Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund is one way we are aiming to reduce the financial burden imposed on restaurants following a natural disaster, helping keep restaurant doors open for years to come,” Hawkins said.
To be eligible, the restaurant must be located in a state or federal disaster area, be independently owned, have a brick-and-mortar location with three or fewer stores now operating, have revenues of $3 million or less per location in the past 12 months, and employ fewer than 50 people per store.
Applications for the winter funding round must be submitted between Nov. 1, 2021 and Jan. 31, 2022. Applicants will be notified on a rolling basis and recipients can expect to receive the funds by March 15.
Grants can be used to cover operating costs, including rent or mortgage payments, food and beverage inventory, utilities, supplies and materials, and supplier costs. Restaurants do not need to be on the DoorDash platform to be eligible for assistance.
A second spring funding round for grant applications will open April 1, 2022.
For more information about the Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund, full eligibility criteria, and terms and conditions, go to doordash.helloalice.com.
