Over the past few days, cities and states have had to restrict the operations of restaurants and other businesses. Around the globe, the restaurants that form the backbone of our communities are being asked to change how they operate. According to the National Restaurant Association, the coronavirus epidemic is the greatest crisis the industry has ever faced. Economic forecasts indicate that restaurants and the foodservice industry could sustain $225 billion in losses and eliminate 5–7 million jobs over the next three months. This means the livelihoods of the 15.6 million hardworking people who serve you day in and day out are on the line and as their front doors are shut, they are finding every way possible to continue to serve their customers, primarily by remaining open for delivery and pick-up. Now, more than ever, they need all of our support.
So, with the help of restaurants across the U.S. and Canada, DoorDash announced today it’s launching #OpenForDelivery, an initiative aimed to let consumers know that restaurants are open, that delivery is safe, and that restaurants need patronage more than ever to weather COVID-19. #OpenForDelivery — a multi-platform campaign that includes TV spots in the U.S. and Canada, paid and organic social, and the launch of a new website (www.openfordelivery.com) — is an homage to the critical role restaurants play in our lives and communities, and a call to action to support them.
The :30 TV spot, titled “There For You”, airs this evening across major networks. It showcases the faces and storefronts of some of DoorDash’s partner restaurants while giving a glimpse into what your local restaurants are facing during this unprecedented situation and how you can help them keep their doors open.
Featured restaurants throughout the campaign include national favorites like The Cheesecake Factory, McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, Chili’s, Wingstop, Baskin-Robbins, and Cracker Barrel, Canadian restaurants including A&W, JOEY Restaurants, Cactus Club, East Side Mario’s, Montana’s, Kelseys, and Harvey’s, and local favorites like NYC’s Katz’s Delicatessen and Roberta’s Pizza, LA’s Uncle Paulies, Escuela Taqueria, Gjusta, and Din Tai Fung, the Northeast’s HoneyGrow, Bellini’s Counter, and Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria, San Francisco’s Hawkers Asian Street Fare and Burma Love, and Chuy’s in Texas. Inclusions range from features in TV spots to social media engagement. Restaurants are invited to designate themselves as #openfordelivery with the use of digital sticker packs, business profile filters, content, and more, aimed to create a public groundswell of support for restaurants.
The www.openfordelivery.com site highlights an appreciation for restaurant communities and provides helpful programming for customers. The new site hosts:
- Food safety information content
- Consumer tips to help get the word out and support local businesses
- Quotes from local elected officials like Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and San Jose Mayor Sam Licardo about supporting small businesses**
- A carousel of restaurants that are #openfordelivery, regardless of the app they’re available on.
- Stories from merchants that are #openfordelivery, again regardless of the app they’re available on to promote and lift up the entire restaurant industry.
The public can spread awareness for this campaign by following DoorDash on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter and sharing their own #openfordelivery content. To search DoorDash for local favorites or to discover your next go-to, visit doordash.com or download DoorDash for Android or iOS.
**“We must come together to support our small businesses and employees during this unprecedented time. That’s why we are taking steps like helping small businesses access badly-needed federal aid, launching our Small Business Stabilization Fund for impacted businesses, halting evictions, and adding more temporary loading zones for businesses offering curbside pickup. We’ll continue working with our partners across government, the private sector, and philanthropy to support those being impacted by this crisis. I hope everyone in Seattle can join me in helping #SupportSeattleSmallBiz and workers as we all work to get through this together.” — Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan
“DoorDash proves that collaboration and innovation can enable us to pull through this crisis — together. As DoorDash has stepped up to help our most vulnerable, diverse entrepreneurs feed their families, those same small businesses are feeding our communities.” — San Jose Mayor Sam Licardo
DoorDash Launches #OpenForDelivery Campaign To Support The Restaurant Industry was originally published in DoorDash on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.