$2 Million Grant Program to Help LGBTQ Restaurants, Bars

The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce and the global online food delivery company Grubhub announced on September 22 that they have launched a $2 million grant program to provide financial support to struggling “LGBTQ+ owned and ally restaurants” adversely impacted by the COVID pandemic.

The newly launched Community Impact Grant Program is inviting restaurants and bars that qualify for the program to submit applications for grants up until October 12. The grants are expected to range from $5,000 to $100,000 with NGLCC and its more than 50 affiliated LGBT chambers across the country playing the lead role in selecting which restaurants or bars are awarded the grants.

NGLCC said an LGBTQ-owned establishment such as a gay bar would be eligible to apply for a grant under the program if they offer a menu for serving food.

The statement announcing the launching of the LGBTQ grant program says the funds for the grants will come from a charitable program Grubhub started in 2018 called Grubhub’s Donate the Change program. It says the program asks customers receiving food delivered by Grubhub to “round out their order total and donate the difference,” with Grubhub matching eligible donations from its Grubhub+ members.