At DoorDash, we know that local restaurants are the backbone of our neighborhoods, bringing well-paying jobs, diverse foods, and community spirit to local communities. In 2020, DoorDash launched the Accelerator for Local Restaurants to increase access to opportunity for restaurant owners, including women, immigrants, and people of color, supporting people to reach their full potential.
In partnership with Accion Opportunity Fund, a financial support system for small businesses that advances racial, gender, and economic justice for all, DoorDash’s Accelerator for Local Restaurants is designed to support entrepreneurship and provide resources for historically under-resourced business owners. The Accelerator for Local Restaurants provides $20,000 grants, training and education, one-on-one customized business advising, marketing benefits, and more to selected restaurant owners.
Today, we’re excited to introduce a new cohort of 40 Accelerator for Local Restaurants participants, all based in the greater Portland and Denver areas. The participants represent a diverse cohort of restaurateurs and business owners, the majority of whom are women, immigrants, and people of color.
In Colorado, we’re welcoming a cohort of 20 local restaurant owners hailing from Denver, Littleton, Longmont, and Aurora. Many of the participants in Denver reflect the city’s rich Latin-American heritage. One Denver-based participant Ivonne Bringas, who owns the Mexican family-style restaurant Las Hijas de la Chilanga, started working years ago as a waitress, said she never thought she’d have the opportunity to own her own restaurant, which she runs alongside her family. “I plan on taking what I learn from the Accelerator program and sharing it with my husband and two daughters, who help manage Las Hijas de la Chilanga alongside me,” she said. “We make a great team, and there’s nothing better than working together with family to take our business to the next level.”
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Piper and Jed Levin, Piper Inn – Assistant General Manager of the Piper Inn and dedicated mother of two, Piper Levin has spent her entire life in the Denver area. Born and raised in the Piper Inn, Piper has a lifetime of experience in the restaurant industry. She takes pride in her organization skills and being a people person. ![]()
Alejandro Flores-Munoz, Combi Cafe and Stokes Poke — Alejandro Flores-Muñoz is a seasoned entrepreneur and activist who has made it his mission to advocate for marginalized communities. As an outspoken queer, DACA, Latinx person, Muñoz’s life’s work aims to champion for the next generation of intersectional entrepreneurs. Brought to the United States by his mother in 1997, Alejandro had strong progressive values instilled into him from a young age. His family upbringing and willingness to overcome adversity is what inspired him to open his businesses: Unum Sunglasses––an e-commerce shop; Stokes Poke food truck; and most recently, Combi Cafe––a brick and mortar location. ![]()
David Medina, Nola Jane Restaurant and Bar — David Medina has worked in the food service industry for several years starting as a food expo and working his way up to line cook, kitchen manager, barback, bartender, general manager, and then finally opening his own restaurant, Nola Jane Restaurant and Bar, with his business partner in downtown Denver. ![]()
Teresa Rivera, La Bonita Neveria Y Paleteria — Teresa Rivera is 30 years old and proud to be Latina and the owner of La Bonita Neveria y Paleteria in Denver, CO. Owning her own business was always her dream. She opened the doors to her Neveria in November of 2019, just before the pandemic. Even with all of the economic challenges she faced, she was able to keep moving her business forward. She fought and will continue to fight for her dream, knowing it’s all worth it. ![]()
Karen Martinez, La Rola Colombian Kitchen — La Rola Colombian Kitchen was founded as a food truck by mother and daughters Maria Garzon, Andrea Martinez, and Karen Martinez in 2017. In February 2020, La Rola moved into a food hall called Zeppelin Station in the heart of Denver. La Rola’s menu includes typical Colombian dishes such as the empanadas, arepas rellenas, arroz con pollo, and much more! As of September 2022, La Rola has a new and unique location in Downtown Littleton. ![]()
Ivonne Bringas, Las Hijas de la Chilanga — Las Hijas De la Chilanga is a family-style Mexican restaurant. Ivonne Bringas started working as a waitress and never thought she would be able to own a restaurant. But her dream came true with the support of her husband and two daughters. It’s been a pleasure for Ivonne to serve the Denver metro area and surroundings with great Mexican homemade food. ![]()
Ivy Perez and Diego Ernestina, Los Molinos — Ivy Perez is the owner of Los Molinos. She started working in the kitchen at age 14 by helping her parents in their restaurant and quickly realized that she loves the fast pace, food, and fun times of the food industry. She graduated with her BA in Psychology and nursing from CU Denver. Then she went on to start her family and continue working in her family’s restaurant. When an opportunity popped up to start Los Molinos on Auraria Campus, she took it. She’s very happy she did. Diego Casillas, and currently manages Los Molinos. He immigrated to Denver at age 9 and started working in the restaurant business in 2010 with different titles. After 8 years, he joined Ivy on her fast and crazy journey with Los Molinos and never looked back. ![]()
Little Dragon — Little Dragon has been a staple of Park Hill since 2012. What makes us stand out from our competitors is our commitment to freshness and the best quality ingredients. Little Dragon offers a wide array of American Chinese dishes including chicken fried rice, sesame chicken, and kung pao chicken, but also a blend of traditional, authentic Chinese dishes like Singapore noodles, Drunken noodles and Salt & Pepper Chicken. Little Dragon also has an extensive menu of delicious, health-conscious dishes that satisfy the health-conscious Denver diner. ![]()
Adriana Mejia, Pozzetti Gelato & Coffee — Adriana Mejia and Juan Chacin are Venezuelans who have been dedicated to the world of ice cream and gelato for approximately 10 years. After running two locations of their shop, Iladería, in Valencia Venezuela, they were forced by the economic and political situation to emigrate to Denver four years ago where they overcame many barriers and challenges to reopen the shop in 2019. For their quality and good service, Pozzetti Gelato is highly appreciated and recognized in its community. ![]()
David Lewis, Miette et Chocolate — Chef David Lewis received his Associates Degree in Culinary Arts from Joliet Junior College. He has worked at Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion in Las Vegas, hotels including Harrahs, and Norwegian Cruise Lines. Later, he worked as a pastry chef for Paris, Bally’s, and Planet Hollywood. Finally, he moved to Colorado with his familu to reside as the Executive Pastry Chef at the Brown Palace Hotel. He is now co-owner of Miette et Chocolat. Chef David won “Best Artistic Showpiece” at Pastry Live 2012 and second place at the 2015 National Pastry Chef of the Year competition. He was also the 2016 ACF Colorado Chefs Association President. Chef Gonzo Jimenez was born in Northern Argentina. After culinary school in Buenos Aires, he traveled the country working for 5-star hotels and celebrity chefs. From 2009 to 2013, he worked for hotels including the St. Julien in Boulder, CO and Hyatts in New Orleans and New York. There, he launched a line of chocolates and provided them to Manhattan hotels. In 2013, he left to work at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Santiago de Chile, then with Barry Callebaut at the Chocolate Academy in Chile. Chef Gonzo has taught classes and performed demos throughout North and South America and has been covered by publications including The New York Times. He is currently the co-owner and chocolatier of Miette et Chocolat in Denver. ![]()
Nhan Tran and Toan Le, Now Pho — Nhan Tran is the owner and the Executive Chef of Now Pho. Nhan grew up in a poor town in Vietnam where famine afflicted the country. She inherited her knowledge of and passion for Vietnamese cuisine from her mother. Nhan uses food as a tool to introduce her culture to the world and provide happiness. In 2019, Now Pho was awarded Best Pho Brother in the Pho Broth competition hosted by the Vietnam Culture Community Tent at the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, Best Pho 2021 fromWestword’s Best of Denver 2021, and Westword’s Best Pho To Go in 2020. Toan Le is the owner and Chief Operating Officer of Now Pho. With 10+ years of Food and Beverage experience, Le trains chefs and servers to deliver memorable dining experiences. He works hard to instill love and passion for cooking in the staff. Every year, on Thanksgiving and Christmas, Toan prepares hundreds of meals for people in need in Denver. In 2021, Toan provided 100 meals to frontline workers at Denver Health Medical Center. Every year, Toan participates in the Little Saigon Night Market, the Mid-Autumn Food Festival, the Sun Valley Night Market, and the Lunar New Year Celebration to promote the Little Saigon Business District. ![]()
Richard Braunthal, Ohana Grille — Richard Braunthal has over 20 years of culinary and restaurant experience in both Colorado and Hawaii. He has been serving up my culinary delights at private and corporate events for many years in Colorado with his catering company, Ohana Restaurant Group. He was born in Santiago Chile and migrated to the US when he was 8 years old with an interest in food from a young age. In 1986, he moved to Hawaii with his parents. He started working in local restaurants and eventually opened a small restaurant in a Navy base in Central Oahu. He relocated to Colorado in 2007 where, in 2015, he joined the food truck craze and offered traditional local Hawaiian street food with a Colorado fusion flare. The truck became a quick favorite amongst local foodies and he now has 2 Hawaiian restaurants, a catering service, a to-go kitchen, and more projects in the works. ![]()
Ismael De Dousa, Reunion Bread — Ismael de Sousa is a 37-year-old Portuguese/Venezuelan living in Denver. He has been obsessively interested in food his entire life. Moving to the US, one of the things he missed most was going to the bakery for a fresh loaf of bread every afternoon. That sparked his curiosity about baking and pastries, which led to what has become Reunion bread – his first business. ![]()
Alicia Perez, Sabor Salvadoreño Restaurant — Alicia Perez came to the United States from El Salvador 10 years ago, dreaming of starting her own business. As a new mother, she is looking forward to showing the people who didn’t believe in her along the way and her newborn son her strength, perseverance, and ability to provide through her business. She’s also excited to have the chance to give others employment opportunities and to bring El Salvadorian culture to her community through food. ![]()
Emily Collins, Javastop — Emily Collins and owns the historic Javastop coffee shop on Main St. in Longmont Colorado. Previously, she was the corporate support supervisor of a home health agency. Her degree and all previous work experience was in health care, so buying and running Javastop has been quite a change. She grew up in Duluth, MN, and spent some time living and volunteering in Amman, Jordan before moving to Colorado in 2015. She fell in love with the state for its abundance of things to do. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, traveling, attending concerts, and staying active in her community. She loves owning the local coffee hangout spot because she get to know so many people in my area that she otherwise would not. She and her husband own 2 cats that they adore. She has one sweet nephew, one niece, and one more on the way. ![]()
Gabe Wheeler and Ernesto Lopez, Sonny’s Tacos — Gabriel and Ernesto were both born and raised in Denver, Colorado. They have been friends since kindergarten. Together they founded Sonny’s Tacos in the Five Points neighborhood by Coors field. Their goal has been to create a local gathering spot for the community to enjoy great drinks and the simple and delicious Mexican food they grew up eating. ![]()
Xochitl Moreno, Tamales Moreno — Xochitl Moreno has been running Tamales Moreno, which was originally opened by her father for 12 years. The pandemic was a challenging time for her business, which offers traditional Mexican dishes and is known for its homemade tamales. A small, family-owned business that serves its community, Tamales Moreno’s aims to expand internationally by offering their authentic products to Walmart, Costco, and the like. Xochitl appreciates being able to offer employment opportunities to other Latinxs and is grateful to all of her employees for their hard work. ![]()
Praphan “Paul” Chansingthong, Urban Thai — Praphan Chansingthong was born and raised in Bangkok Thailand. He came to the US in 1996 for graduate school in Marketing at Rochester Institute of Technology. He was a marketing & brand analyst for a design firm in San Francisco from 2000-2007. Then he moved to Colorado in 2008 to work as marketing director for an import company. With passion and love for cooking Thai cuisine, he opened his first brick-and-mortar restaurant in Longmont, Colorado in 2013 and has been there ever since. He is very grateful for the local support he has received since opening and especially during the pandemic. ![]()
Henry Batiste, Nola Voodoo Tavern — Henry Batiste’s New Orleans-inspired bar, Nola Voodoo Tavern, is located in the historic Cole neighborhood near downtown Denver. Batiste is a New Orleans native bringing his Mom and Grandma’s homemade recipes to Denver. Nola Voodoo Tavern strives to make each customer feel at home with that all-important southern hospitality. ![]()
Marco Albertin, Voghera Ristorante — Marco Albertin is originally from a town outside of Milan called Voghera, which is also the name he chose for his restaurant. After working in the hospitality industry in Italy, Africa, and Mexico, Marco moved to the US in 2013 and worked for Disney before relocating to Colorado. He and his wife live in Denver with their 5-year-old son, Leo. Voghera keeps Marco very busy but his great team and business partner, Tony, make it all possible.
In Oregon, another 20 restaurant owners hailing from Portland and Beaverton will be participating in the Accelerator for Local Restaurants program. This group includes Fatou Ouattara, the owner of Akadipdx, the only west African sit-down restaurant in Portland. She opened Akadi with the goal of having West African cuisine be represented in the Portland food scene. Her favorite meal to cook is a grilled fish with fermented cassava couscous, an Ivory Coast national dish called “attieké poisson braisé.”
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Fatou Ouattara, Akadipdx — Fatou Ouattara is the owner of Akadipdx, the only west African sit-down restaurant in Portland. She opened Akadi with the goal of having West African cuisine be represented in the Portland food scene. Akadi offers food from different part of West Africa including her home, the Ivory Coast and her mother’s home, Burkina Faso, as well as Mali, Sénégal, Ghana, and Nigeria. ![]()
Tam Cao, Bamboo House — Tam Cao is the co-owner of Bamboo House. He has about 7 years of experience in accounting and purchasing at an international supermarket with over 50 employees. With the expertise in produce selection and the love of enjoying delicious foods, he and his wife and started Bamboo House, an Asian Food House, which serves many popular and delicious dishes from Asia – especially from Vietnam, Thailand, and China. ![]()
Damala Badon, DB Dessert Company — Damala Badon, a full-time working mother of three boys, started carving cakes as a hobby in 2010. Drawn to her creativity in cake design, her family, friends, and co-workers began requesting custom cakes often. Soon, the busy mom started vending her baked goods at local fairs and farmer’s markets and hosting and appearing at pop-up events. When the cost of renting a commercial kitchen space became prohibitive, Damala opened her first DB Dessert Company bakery in NE Portland and left her six-figure corporate job 9 months later. Business boomed, and in 2019, only one year after she opened her first location, DB Dessert Company was voted “1 of the Top 5 Bakeries in Portland.” By Willamette Weekly. Damala uses her experience as a CEO and founder to continue to push the needle forward. She hopes to create a legacy for her children and takes pride in providing representation to marginalized groups. ![]()
Joshua and Sarah Scofield, Pollo Bravo — Josh and Sarah Scofield met while working in the Portland restaurant scene in 2008 and have partnered in business and life ever since. They opened Pollo Bravo in 2016 in the Pine Street Market Food Hall in downtown Portland, and took sole ownership of Pollo Bravo from their previous business partners in early 2017. During the pandemic they moved Pollo Bravo out of downtown to North Portland, reopening in their new location on North Killingsworth Street in March of 2022. They are thrilled to have their own brick-and-mortar in the Overlook neighborhood and to help build community there. ![]()
Chong H Yi, Downtown Freddie Brown Deli — Yi Chong was born in South Korea and immigrated to the United States with his family. He bought Downtown Freddie Brown Deli in 2009, unaware that its specialty was roast turkey. Yi may not be young or have a higher education degree, but he’s proud to be the hard-working owner of a small business. For Yi, “Everyday is Happy Thanksgiving’s day!” ![]()
Anjelica Otness, Fat Cupcake – Anjelica Otness has always loved dessert. Growing up her mom would say, “Life is unpredictable, eat dessert first!” and that is exactly what she did. Her friends and family told her one day she would open a bakery and sure enough, that day came. Determined and ready for the challenge, she opened the first Fat Cupcake at the age of 24. On September 1st, 2014, the ovens were hot, bakery cases stocked, and her nerves through the roof. But from the first day, it was clear she was onto something. The Charlie, a chocolate cupcake baked with a peanut butter cup in the center, frosted with ribbons of peanut butter buttercream and drizzled with ganache, would prove that Fat Cupcake was there to stay. The bakery grew to 3 locations in 5 years. Anjelica hopes that everyone who encounters Fat Cupcake leaves feeling like part of the Fat Cupcake family. She strives to be generous with donations, immersed and engaged in her community, and committed to baking quality sweets that leave a memorable impression. ![]()
Jelana Canfield, Jelana’s Bake Shop — When Jelana Canfield was a kid, all she wanted was an Easy Bake Oven. When her mom saw the commercial, she pointed to the kitchen and said, “there is your easy bake oven.” She started helping her mom bake pies and cakes from recipes handed down from her foremothers out of slavery. After college and travelling the world, she pursued a career as an actor, dancer, and writer, she worked in restaurants in various cities. As she became more knowledgeable and passionate about food, pastry, and wine, her side hustle became her main career. As a server and manager, she took many after-work pastry trainings which eventually led to baking positions. Marrying her professional training with her family heritage enlightened her to how far baking could take her as an educated, career driven Black woman. So she started a bakery to share her flavor-focused, simply-baked treats. She is now a board member of Washington County Chambers of Commerce, Vice-Chair of the Black Business Advisory Council, and a member of Black Village (Hillsboro School District PAC). She is excited to uplift her community one cupcake at a time. ![]()
Kanchanaporn Deewicharn and Somphalavanh Sophanthavong, Sunee Thai and Lao Kitchen — Somphalavanh and Kanchanaporn Sophanthavong are happily married with two boys, Vincent and Tito. They are the proud owners of Sunee Thai and Lao Kitchen, located in the heart of the Buckman Neighborhood, in S.E. Portland. ![]()
Charles Harris, Roux Boi — Charles Harris is a Portland native with southern roots. He has a passion for savory flavors and satisfying tastebuds with his own twist! ![]()
Andrea Bontemps, Le Bontemps Cafe & Catering — Andrea Stephens-Bontemps was born in Portland, Oregon and attended College in Virginia where she received a BS and later pursued a degree in Culinary Arts. She is now the owner of Le Bontemps Cafe & Catering. ![]()
Tiffany Love, Love Belizean — Tiffany Love loves to cook. She decided after her mother died that it was her calling. Long story short, she and her husband went to Belize for their honeymoon and ate the dish that the locals eat in every town of Belize. She decided there was no way she was leaving without finding out how they make their show stopping Chicken, rice, and beans. When she got home, she mastered it and opened a food truck. The location didn’t work out, so they opened a brick and mortar location nearby. Today, they are slowly trying to get out of the Pandemic while running their restaurant in Downtown Portland. ![]()
Celeste Kiester, Pinky’s Pizza — Celeste Kiester is 46 years old and too stubborn to work for anyone else. During her college years and into her 30’s she worked in a family-owned Italian Grocery and Deli. She loved that it was possible to run a business without sacrificing quality for quantity. Working in an environment rich with long-term employees who live, breath, and dine within their industry inspired her to find a way to build her own family business. While corporate sales offered good pay, the monetization of gourmet food was underwhelming and soul crushing. So she took a job in a beloved pizzeria to make sure her old bones could handle the service industry again. Two knee surgeries later, she can’t imagine doing anything else. She thrives off the energy exchange between herself, her employees, and her incredible customer base. She gets to buy and make what she loves, she gets to talk and laugh about whatever she wants, and she gets to celebrate the beauty of people bonding over food and drink. To the critics she says: “buy your own bar and do it your way.” ![]()
Randall Willhite, POBOYZ — Randall Willhite grew up with the curiosity of his Creole Grandpa Sayers and a passion for cooking inherited from his mother. His family had many restaurants, and he always enjoyed learning about this family’s culinary history. With two older brothers drafted into the NFL, Randall began his family food research, starting in New Orleans where he learned techniques and recipes with some of the world’s most famous New Orleans chefs like Chef Leah Chase of Dooky Chase’s Restaurant and Chef Voleo who was the sous chef at K-Pal’s for Chef Paul Prumodme. He has shared cooking techniques with Iron Chef Morimoto, Chef Guy Fieri, and many others. When he reached out to his college sweetheart after 25 years, she persuaded him to start small toward his goal of opening a restaurant by starting a Food Trailer. After 2.5 years of success, he opened the Brick N Mortar Restaurant POBOYZ Cajun Creole Kitchen. Now, over a year later, POBOYZ has been recognized by many publications and TV news stations. POBOYZ was chosen as one of the “Top Ten Restaurants on Portland” by Forbes Magazine. ![]()
Sudarat Wongkittikraiwan, Thai Yummy Foods — Sudarat Wongkittikraiwan is a first-generation immigrant from South East Asia. The challenges that immigration entailed were her inspiration to succeed. To Sudarat, owning her own business represents not just the chance to succeed, but the opportunity to show other women of color that htey can as well. Sudarat speaks multiple languages and enjoys using them to support the Asian community around her. For example, she donated many meals during the pandemic to people in need. She’s always happy to give back, provide spaces for people to connect, and to work together with people of different backgrounds. Sudarat believes in what she calls a “cycle of blessings.” ![]()
Chaunci King and Michelle Hicks, The Joynt Juice Bar — Proven beverage entreprenuer, Chaunci King, and his business parter, Moichelle Hicks, whose background was in the healthcare industry, launched The Joynt Juice Bar in 2021 in an effort to provide healthy and nutritional drink offerings for the residents of Portland. Taking into consideration that everyone has battled COVID in some way over the last two years and that health is top of mind for many as a consequence, they believe that this is a perfect time to establish a neighborhood juice bar dedicated to nourishing and calming people in their community and empowering people to live a more mentally and physically healthy lifestyle. The Joynt Juice Bar offers a unique, upscale experience while serving up organic, fresh juices and delicious smoothies. The Joynt also seeks to promote nutrition education. ![]()
Carla Badon and Eddie Bynum, Trapkitchen — Carla Badon originally opened Trapkitchen with her brother, Malachi Jenkins, in Compton, California in 2016. After watching and helping out in the kitchen, she fell in love with the reactions people had when they ate her food. So she decided to open a Food Truck in Portland––TrapKitchenPDX. After running the food truck for about 6 years in Northeast Portland, Carla moved to her first brick and mortar location in downtown Portland. ![]()
Carrie Padian, Unicorn Bake Shop — After nearly 25 years in IT, Carrie Padian walked away and changed tracks to open Unicorn Bake Shop––a magical community bakery that delivers joy, love, and care to Portland, Oregon via cakes, cupcakes, and other delicious treats. Carrie lives in Portland with her husband, four-year-old son, and many fine cats. ![]()
Megan Walhood, Viking Soul Food — Viking Soul Food is the brain child of Megan Walhood and Jeremy Daniels. Megan started cooking in Olympia, WA in 1996 and worked at various restaurants in the US and abroad. In 2005 she landed at Nostrona where she met Jeremy Daniels, a recent graduate of culinary school and passionate young chef. Together they started their own underground supper club, Feed Thy Self, and began experimenting with Northern European meets Pacific Northwest cuisine. In 2010, they purchased an antique Streamline Duchess aluminum silver trailer and opened Viking Soul Food. They decided to specialize in lefse, a traditional bread Megan grew up with, and Scandinavian-inspired dishes, taking an irreverent approach to tradition, while maintaining the utmost reverence for the ingredients they prepare. Viking Soul Food has become a treasured fixture of the Portland street food scene, receiving local, national, and even international attention for their creative use of Nordic flavors and Northwest ingredients. Viking Soul Food is now opening their first brick and mortar storefront in the Woodstock neighborhood of Portland. ![]()
Janelle Shore, The Lodge Bar and Grill — Janelle Shore has owned The Lodge Bar and Grill in Portland Oregon for the last 10 years. She has been in the food and beverage industry for 33 years. She loves being part of the unity of a comfortable neighborhood establishment that has created long-term friends within its community. That has been her joy. She loves to run fundraisers and benefits that give back to her staff, customers, and community. She loves to learn new things to better her business and herself. ![]()
Omar and Vanessa Salomon, Xōcotl — Omar and Vanessa Salomon immigrated to Portland from Mexico City 19 years ago. Vanessa spent the years since working in the food industry and Omar worked in marketing. They are both very passionate about food. The couple always wanted to start their own business, and 4 years ago they made this possible trough a business incubation program. Inspired by a traditional Mexican style called “jugueria,” they combine tropical fruits and vegetables to make juices and smoothies with unique recipes from across Latin America. Xōcotl LLC is a family-owned business by Vanessa, Omar, and their 14 year old son David.
To date, over 1,000 businesses have completed the Accelerator’s free online courses, and more than 115 restaurateurs from 6 cities have completed the Accelerator for Local Restaurants through local cohorts in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia, guided by some of the industry’s most recognized entrepreneurs and chefs. 87% of restaurant owners participating in the Accelerator For Local Restaurants cohorts have identified as people of color, and 59% have identified as women.
For these new cohorts, DoorDash is proud to partner with the Black Business Association of Oregon and the Denver chapter of the Hispanic Restaurant Association to bring localized insights and resources to our Accelerator for Local Restaurants participants. Both organizations aim to support historically underserved communities, with the Black Business Association of Oregon working to achieve economic equity for Black businesses and entrepreneurs, and the Hispanic Restaurant Association focusing on elevating the Hispanic community through advocacy and education for Hispanic restaurateurs.
“For far too long, businesses owned and operated by people of color, particularly Black businesses, have been denied the resources they need to be successful in the United States,” said Lance Randall, Executive Director of the Black Business Association of Oregon. “But when these businesses have equal access and opportunity, they thrive and make significant contributions to our overall economy. We are proud to be a partner with DoorDash in making these invaluable financial and educational resources available to some of the most dynamic businesses owned by people of color in the greater Portland area. This program clearly shows the commitment to bring about equity in the restaurant sector.”
“We are proud to be a partner with DoorDash’s Accelerator for Local Restaurants because of the important opportunity to support the Hispanic restaurateur community in Denver,” said Selene Nestor of the Hispanic Restaurant Association. “Our mission is to advocate on behalf of and educate the Hispanic restaurateur to effectively and efficiently open and operate their restaurant, and we are thrilled to help enable this for the Denver cohort.”
“From the impact of the pandemic, to rising costs, these last few years have been particularly challenging for small restaurants,” said Elyssa White, Social Impact Program Manager at DoorDash. “We’re proud to help businesses navigate this uncertain economic environment through the Accelerator’s education and grant funds, and lift up critical establishments within the Portland and Denver communities. These grants will enable businesses to hire more staff, purchase updated equipment, improve marketing efforts, and most importantly, give them the time and space to focus on their craft.”
We’re excited to see what the new cohort of Portland and Denver restaurateurs accomplish with this opportunity. For more information about DoorDash’s Accelerator for Local Restaurants, visit here.
The post Announcing DoorDash’s Accelerator for Local Restaurants Cohorts in Denver and Portland appeared first on DoorDash Newsroom.