Uber Eats launches ‘contribute’ option to support Puerto Rico restaurants
Uber Eats unveiled an initiative to help restaurants in the region, including Puerto Rico, weather the coronavirus pandemic, encouraging customers to make a contribution to their favorite restaurants directly from the app at order checkout.
The initiative is aimed at supporting businesses and workers that have been affected financially by the current crisis over the past weeks, the delivery company said.
“Millions of people in the food industry have been hurt by the COVID-19 crisis, with many losing their jobs as restaurants across the country close their dining rooms to guests — or shut their doors entirely,” said Eduardo Donnelly, regional manager for Uber Eats in Latin America, adding that 100% of the contributions will be paid to the restaurants as per the normal payrate schedule, be it daily or weekly.
“Our users have asked us how they can help their favorite restaurants and their staff (servers, cooks, chefs, maintenance crew, and others) navigate these unprecedented times. As such, users not only have the option of giving something ‘extra’ to their courier in recognition of his or her good service but may also choose to add a contribution for the restaurant,” he said.
At checkout, users will see a checkbox on the screen with the option of making a contribution to the restaurant from which they are ordering. The restaurant will receive notification of the user’s contribution along with the order through their dashboard.
This feature is currently available for restaurants featured on the Uber Eats app in Puerto Rico.
“We have seen a significant increase in orders from independent restaurants since mid-March as more users look to support local businesses. In fact, throughout the region, we’ve seen a ten-fold increase in restaurants looking to include delivery option through Uber Eats,” Donnelly said.
