DoorDash's New Program Gives You A Way To Support Refugees & Immigrants Over Dinner

Let's face it, there's no quicker way to build connections with people than through food. In history, cuisine has been a way for people to create communities across the world, whether it's at the dinner table or at your favorite local restaurant. Well, in order to spotlight communities and restaurants that may be under the radar, DoorDash's Kitchen Without Borders program is here to support immigrant and refugee-owned businesses.

On Thursday, March 28, DoorDash, the top on-demand platform for door-to-door delivery in more than 3,300 cities in the U.S. and Canada, unveiled Kitchen Without Borders, a "social impact initiative dedicated to supporting immigrant and refugee food business entrepreneurs," per their press release. Through this program, DoorDash features 10 San Francisco Bay Area-based restaurants founded by immigrants and refugees, such as Afghan Village, Z Zoul Cafe, Onigilly, Los Cilantros, and more. According to DoorDash's press release, the 10 restaurants taking part in this initiative will receive numerous promotions on DoorDash's website, including marketing support and the ability to offer $0 delivery fees to customers for up to six weeks.

Since its founding in 2013, DoorDash has made it a point to support the growth of immigrant-owned businesses, and Kitchen Without Borders is the company's latest step in their initiative.

I don't know about y'all, but my stomach is rumbling already.

To celebrate the unveiling of Kitchen Without Borders, DoorDash CEO Tony Xu penned a blog post on DoorDash's Medium page, which discussed his personal connection to the initiative. In the post, Xu discusses his life growing up as an immigrant, and his experience working in his mother's restaurant as a dishwasher. Xu states that DoorDash was created in an effort to support entrepreneurs like his mother, and as a way to highlight individuals who make up a large portion of the restaurant industry. Xu wrote,

DoorDash was started for people like my mom — people who came here with a dream to make it on their own, whatever that dream is. We serve over 310,000 stores on the platform today, many of which are owned by immigrants — in fact, a third of business owners in the restaurant industry are immigrants. Helping them succeed in spite of the immense challenges is core to DoorDash’s mission of Delivering Good.

On the Kitchens Without Borders website, DoorDash users will be able to get to know each restauranteur personally by clicking on their individual photos. Users will be able to learn about the backstory behind each restaurant's beginning and the founder's journey in opening their business. In addition, a short video is featured on each restaurant's page, which gives an intimate and exciting inside look to these inspiring restaurants. So, not only can get the inside scoop on these businesses' stories, but you can enjoy a delicious meal while doing so. Honestly, what more could you ask for?

So what are you waiting for? With DoorDash's new initiative, you basically have the perfect excuse to order food every night for the next few weeks (particularly if you're in San Fran). Plus, judging by these impressive options, there's literally something for everyone. Bon appétit!