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Our commitments to Black-owned businesses

At Uber, we're committed to being an anti-racist company. Our commitments cover a range of actions – from ridding our platform of racism to driving equity in the community. They're at the core of our company's priorities, and we continue to expand and evolve them. As part of our commitments, we've dedicated $10 million to support black-owned businesses around the world.

Uber Eats partnerships

Since 2020, Uber has partnered with EatOkra in the US to support Black-owned restaurants and further enhance their experience on the Uber Eats and EatOkra platforms. We worked together on pop-ups in Harlem, NY, and Washington, DC. And in 2023, we’re expanding our partnership to include EatOkra’s Restaurant Accelerator and Dine Diaspora’s Black Women in Food Initiative.

EatOkra helps people discover black-owned restaurants

EatOkra is the go-to app for connecting customers with black-owned restaurants, food trucks and caterers nationwide. It's where food, culture and community meet.

With more than 15,000 black-owned food and beverage businesses listed, and over 500,000 users, EatOkra is fulfilling its mission to connect food lovers to black-owned restaurants and culinary events while amplifying the dining experience for and by black communities. Restaurants can sign up here to join EatOkra.

Supporting black-owned businesses

Uber Eats partnered in 2021 with world-renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson to create an original web series based on his book The Rise, which celebrates Black cuisine and Black chefs around the US. In addition, Uber Eats donated $500,000 to Samuelsson’s Black Businesses Matter Matching Fund to support local Black-owned businesses.

Along with Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Uber Eats donated $4.5 million in grants in 2021 to small US businesses coping with COVID-19 challenges. Among those grant recipients, 88% of funding went to businesses of colour.

In the UK, Uber Eats launched the Black Business Fund in 2021, in partnership with Enterprise Nation and Be Inclusive Hospitality. That programme provided access to funding, education and mentoring for 10 black restaurant owners who had been severely affected by the pandemic. Each of the small black-owned businesses received a £5,000 grant to give them a valuable boost.

In 2022 in the US, Uber and Uber Eats sponsored Juneteenth celebrations in Brooklyn, Harlem, Houston and Tulsa. The celebrations featured performances from local music artists, food from local vendors, and displays from community partners.

2023 and beyond

We plan on continuing our support of Black-owned businesses in the following ways:


  • Expand partnerships with EatOkra to launch EatOkra’s Restaurant Accelerator and with Dine Diaspora’s Black Women in Food Initiative to continue supporting Black businesses in the food industry.

  • Partner with Operation HOPE in its 1MBB program to support one million Black businesses by 2030.

  • Collaborate with LISC to establish the Black Restaurant Fund to support Black businesses’ access to capital to pursue growth and expansion opportunities. This fund builds on our recent Grants for Growth program with LISC, which prioritized entrepreneurs of color. Learn more

  • Grow support for Black-owned restaurants in the UK with a new £250,000 fund. Twenty-five restaurants from across the UK will each receive £10,000 grants, a free Enterprise Nation membership to access support for their business, a free Be Inclusive Hospitality membership to join a fast-growing professional network for people of color in the hospitality sector, and access to e-learning courses covering important topics like making sales, accessing finance, creating a brand, and motivating a team.