TORONTO — DoorDash Canada has unveiled its long-term partnership with Black Opportunity Fund to provide $800,000 in #BlackFoodEnergy grants to Black-owned and led restaurants across the country by the end of 2025.
Black entrepreneurs in Canada face daunting challenges and hardships while running their businesses, as illuminated in Statistics Canada’s Black Business Owners in Canada Report. Black male business owners earn $43,300 less annually compared to white male business owners, whereas Black women business owners earn $16,000 less annually compared to white female business owners, underscoring the dire need for access to funding. This imbalance is a core reason why DoorDash launched #BlackFoodEnergy in 2022, a platform dedicated to celebrating and amplifying Black restaurateurs on DoorDash.
Eligible entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply for the next round of grants from now through July 25. Restaurants must meet select eligibility criteria, including but not limited to being a primarily Black-owned restaurant with less than three locations, employing less than 50 employees per location, demonstrating a detailed plan for how to utilize the grant and showcasing how they support their local community. A DoorDash partnership is not considered or required for a successful application.
The first grant of $10,000 was given to Wazema, a family-owned restaurant in the heart of Toronto’s Little Ethiopia.
“Investing in Black chefs and Black restaurateurs across Canada who contribute to the fabric of their neighbourhood can feed meaningful change with lasting impacts in all of our communities,” says Delly Dyer, head of Consumer Brand Marketing at DoorDash Canada. “Our partners at Black Opportunity Fund understand the need for platforms like #BlackFoodEnergy and we’re proud to collaborate with them to increase access to funding opportunities.”
“By creating additional and non-traditional funding opportunities for Black entrepreneurs through programs like #BlackFoodEnergy restaurant grants, we’re creating a more sustainable and viable economic community,” says Craig Wellington, CEO of Black Opportunity Fund. “Through our conversations over the years, we’ve found a partner in DoorDash Canada who shares a similar mission as us — to empower communities across the country by connecting them with meaningful opportunities.”
Grants will be $10,000 and can be used for a variety of business needs and innovations. Grant recipients will be notified in September. Applications will re-open on a rolling basis for three more rounds of grants through December 2025.
