The National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship (National ACE) is kicking off the fourth year of the AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund to support independent, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)-owned restaurants, a program made possible by the Grubhub Community Fund. This funding presents an opportunity for AAPI-owned restaurants to thrive amid a season of economic setbacks.
By upgrading technology, increasing outreach, expanding offerings and providing support to employees, businesses will be able to reach their next level of growth and continue to give back to their small business communities.
“Since the launch of AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund three years ago, National ACE has distributed over $5 million to 351 AAPI restaurant owners nationwide,” says Chiling Tong, president and chief executive officer of National ACE. “Thanks to the Grubhub Community Fund, our restaurant owners were able to hire new staff, repair and expand their dining space, replace old kitchen equipment, retain a marketing company, purchase a building for their business, and more. We are pleased to partner with Grubhub again to continue our mission to support and impact more AAPI restaurateurs.”
Eligible restaurants across the country will be able to apply for grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000, with three restaurant owners receiving a grand prize of $25,000 live at the National ACE’s #AAPISTRONG Annual Conference in Santa Clara, California on September 4, 2024.
“In our fourth year of partnering with the National ACE, Grubhub is proud to continue our investment in helping AAPI-owned restaurants sustain and expand their businesses through the AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund,” says Dave Tovar, senior vice president of communications & government relations at Grubhub. “We know better than anyone the important role restaurants play within their communities, and Grubhub is committed to helping diverse independent restaurants extend their positive impact where they serve. We look forward to seeing how this year’s grant recipients will strengthen their businesses and communities with the funds they receive.”
The AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund will accept grant applications from AAPI-owned restaurants throughout the United States from May 1-31, or when there are 5,000 applicants – whichever comes first.
Eligibility Criteria:
- The restaurant must be Asian American/Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian majority-owned (at least 51%);
- Must be based in the United States;
- Must be currently operational;
- Must be a for-profit business;
- Must show proof of their primary licensed activity as “the preparation and serving of food”;
- Operates in a single location;
- Cannot be a franchise;
- Must demonstrate financial need;
- Funds must be used towards growth and expansion of the business;
- Must demonstrate community impact (i.e. culture/community, hiring, charitable/philanthropic efforts, etc.)
- Priority will be given to first time grant applicants;
- For grand prize finalists, you must be able to attend our Annual Conference in Santa Clara, CA on September 4. Flight vouchers and hotel accommodations will be provided via National ACE for the three grand prize finalists.
Applications will be accepted from 12 am EST on May 1 through 11:59 pm EST on May 31, via AAPISTRONG's website.
Due to the program’s high demand, the application portal will close once there are 5,000 applications, even if that occurs before the May 31 deadline, so small business owners are encourage to apply as early as possible.
Grants will be distributed to restaurants by December 2024. Interested restaurants can learn more about the AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund and the full application process online.
LGBTQ+ grants
America's LGBTQ+-owned restaurants and bars serving food will once again find a vital lifeline this year stemming from the ongoing partnership formed by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the business voice of the LGBTQ+ community and certifying body for LGBTQ+-owned businesses nationwide, and Grubhub.
Earlier this week marked the launch of East Coast applications for the NGLCC Community Impact Grant Program by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, made possible through continued support from the Grubhub Community Fund. These grants, ranging from $5,000 to $25,000, offer funding for a variety of purposes, including everything from supporting employee wages and incentives, maintaining or upgrading existing infrastructure, enabling marketing and PR efforts and more.
“We often say at NGLCC that if you can buy it, an LGBTQ+-owned business can supply it,” says NGLCC co-founder and president Justin Nelson. “This rings especially true for LGBTQ+-owned restaurants and food-serving establishments across America, which play a vital role in their communities. We're thrilled to once again collaborate on this program, thanks to the generous support of the Grubhub Community Fund, to offer grants that will benefit businesses nationwide.”
“Grubhub’s partnership with NGLCC continues to go on from strength to strength over the years, and we're really proud of the impact this initiative has had on LGBTQ+-owned businesses nationwide,” says Dave Tovar, Grubhub's senior vice president of communications and government relations. “We are inspired by countless stories of how these grants empower independent restaurants to thrive and make meaningful contributions to their communities. We know this year’s grant recipients will do incredible things with the funds they receive as this program continues to grow.”
Once again, under the innovative grant program, the NGLCC has set a goal to allocate 30 percent of the funds to businesses owned by people of color and transgender and gender expansive (TGX) individuals. Between now and June 2024, NGLCC will roll the grant program out regionally, with applications for East Coast establishments launching on April 30, 2024. Applications for the Central US will open in May 2024, and those for the West Coast will roll out in June 2024. Restaurants wishing to learn more about applying for grants online.
The NGLCC's network of nearly 55 Affiliate Chambers across America will once again help amplify this grant opportunity to support local restaurants. Those local chambers will again benefit from this initiative's Affiliate Chamber Fund. In addition to supporting local efforts to share the grant opportunity, this fund has and will continue to enable any establishment that receives a grant that is not currently a member of an NGLCC local affiliate chamber to have one year of membership paid.
