Restaurants Canada and Uber Eats to distribute $1M in grants to Canadian restaurants

Toronto – Restaurants Canada is partnering with Uber Eats to provide $1 million in grants to independently owned restaurants across Canada as part of Uber Eats’ Eat Local Relief Effort.

The grant will provide 400 restaurants with a cash infusion when they could use it most, the partners said in a news release. That works out to $2,500 per restaurant.

Applications for the grant program are open, visit eatlocalreliefgrants.ca. To be eligible, restaurants are required to demonstrate financial need, have fewer than five locations, a maximum of 50 employees per location and have annual gross revenues in 2020 of less than $3 million per location. Preference will be given to applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to the local community, including restaurant staff, throughout the pandemic.

“As we approach the one-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, it’s never been more important to support local restaurants,” said Lola Kassim, general manager of Uber Eats Canada. “With the Eat Local Relief Grant program, we’ll provide $1 million to restaurants in need across Canada.”

“We understand the times continue to be challenging, and the transition to dining in will be longer than anyone expected,” said Todd Barclay, president and CEO, Restaurants Canada, “so while we continue to advocate for favourable delivery options that allow restaurants to survive during this period, we are happy to partner with an industry ally like Uber Eats, who are committed to supporting restaurants during this ongoing crisis.”