Independent restaurants across the country can apply for a grant up to $10,000 through the AAPISTRONG Restaurant Program
CHICAGO and WASHINGTON, D.C., August 4, 2021 — Grubhub, a leading food-delivery marketplace, and the 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 September. 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, 201, 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 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.