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Grants that fuel growth

Running a successful small business takes a lot more than just hard work, particularly through a global pandemic. It’s why Uber Eats partnered with Visa and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to create Grants for Growth.

What is Grants for Growth?

The idea: help small businesses that have been affected by COVID, natural disasters, and other unexpected events through grants. The result: Uber Eats and Visa partnered with LISC, which administered restaurant grants totaling $1,000,000 to Uber Eats member restaurants in need. We’re excited to champion these businesses and watch them flourish in their local communities.

Meet some of the grant recipients

Sofia Deleon, Owner, El Merkury

Sofia brings sisterly love to Philly one pupusa at a time. As an immigrant from Guatemala, she values family, people, and community over everything else, which shows in the familial atmosphere in her restaurants. During the pandemic, she kept her staff and hired even more who were laid off from other restaurants. Sofia used the grant to help support her team and pay her rent.

Umber Ahmad, Owner, Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery

From banking to baking, Umber has had quite the career. During the pandemic, she personally delivered Mah-Ze-Dahr baked goods all over NYC before turning to Uber Eats. She believes in giving back to her community by nourishing New Yorkers with love and layers of flaky croissants. Umber used this grant to help with rent and support her staff.

Jamila Ross and Akino West, Owners, Rosie’s Miami

By connecting food, culture, and people, husband and wife duo Akino and Jamila created Rosie’s Miami. From leading kitchens all over the world to running a backyard food truck, the couple have had quite a career. What started as a bed and breakfast has transitioned to a brick-and-mortar brunch spot in Miami. They used the grant to keep staff, pay rent, and renovate their new space.

Cheyenne Brown, Owner, Fun-Diggity Funnel Cakes

Cheyenne puts the “fun” in funnel cakes and brings endless smiles to Los Angeles. She has expanded Fun-Diggity Funnel Cakes to a ghost kitchen to deliver funnel cakes for her local community. Cheyenne is using this grant for supplies and a new product line.

Spencer Ng, Owner, Triple Crown

Spencer is serving up culture, community, and family in Chicago. His mother started Triple Crown in 1996 in the heart of Chinatown. With the restaurant business’s long hours, Spencer’s staff has become an extension of his family. He used this grant to pay suppliers and keep his team paid and fed.

2022 grant recipients

Join us in congratulating our grant recipients and supporting their businesses:

Adapt your business when the unexpected happens

Learn how to practice effective communication, streamline staffing, and leverage tech and mobile in this free comprehensive restaurant toolkit, developed by Uber Eats in collaboration with Visa, LISC, and Streetsense.

You can also visit Visa’s Small Business Hub for additional tools and resources.

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