Discover ways to give back to the community this National Small Business Day and beyond.
National Small Business Day is an annual reminder that local restaurants and small vendors are the heart of our communities — creating jobs, circulating dollars regionally, and bringing culture to our neighborhoods. For companies looking to give back in meaningful ways, one of the most effective actions is to rethink how and where you spend.
From in-office catering to corporate meal plans, we're sharing ways to give back to the community, and how intentional spending can make a real impact for small and minority-owned restaurants.
Why small businesses matter
Small businesses power a significant part of the U.S. economy, contributing 44% GDP and employing nearly half of the national workforce. Local restaurants in particular act as community anchors. They offer jobs, support nearby vendors, bank with community institutions, and contribute to neighborhood initiatives like schools and nonprofits.
Minority-owned restaurants alone, including those run by BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs, have a substantial impact — but they often face systemic barriers for funding, visibility, and reliable revenue streams.
That's where businesses can make a real difference. Choosing to spend your meal budget at local restaurants creates a ripple effect. In fact, every $100 spent at a local business returns about $68 to the community — that's 2-4x more money than chains.
With thoughtful planning, your company’s food budget can become more than just a line item. It can offer various avenues for giving back, all while feeding your team.
How corporate meal programs can make a difference
Corporate meal programs are one of many ways that your company can intentionally give back to the community. By choosing to order from local and minority-owned vendors, you can ensure your meal spend delivers on both flavor and equity. And the result is impact felt both internally and externally: teams have more dedicated opportunities to bond over a shared meal and your economic support strengthens underrepresented communities.
With DoorDash for Business, your team can track expenses, schedule orders, and customize a plan fit for your needs:
Group orders: Up to 15 in-person employees can individually add meals to a shared group cart and enjoy together.
Catered office meals: Admins select the restaurant and menu for groups of 15+, delivered either in classic large tray formats or easy-to-distribute boxed meals.
Expensed meal credits: Employees — in-office or remote — choose meals that fit their health and dietary preferences, and you control when, where, and how much they can spend.
Platform Tip: You can also filter and identify small and minority-owned restaurants directly within the DoorDash platform — like Scarborough hotspot Chris Jerk Caribbean Bistro. With DoorDash helping Chris Jerk reach new customers, the team continues to share their unique and authentic Caribbean concepts with locals old and new.
Black food influences the broader culture because it promotes diversity and inclusion through a social setting. We use food to bring people together.
How to find and support local and minority-owned restaurants
To get you started, here are a few simple ways to support small and minority-owned restaurants:
Build a go-to list of local vendors for office catering, events, and team lunches.
Rotate featured restaurants in your meal program to spotlight different small businesses each month.
Encourage teams to “dine local” during company offsites, client meetings, or travel.
And if you help sourcing vendors to support in your area, these directories are designed to support intentional spending and community investment:
Intentionalist: Highlights multicultural small businesses, including minority-owned restaurants, searchable by ownership type (BIPOC-, queer-, women-owned, etc.) and geography.
EatOkra: A comprehensive directory of Black-owned restaurants, searchable by location and cuisine.
Native Knot: A 100% Native American-owned directory for Indigenous-owned businesses.
Support Latino Business: A national hub promoting Latino/a/x businesses through a searchable database.
Asian American Chamber of Commerce: Offers regional directories and tools to help connect with AAPI-owned businesses and restaurants.
Feed people and progress year-round
Supporting small businesses doesn’t have to be a once-a-year campaign for National Small Business Day. By treating meals like any other strategic investment year-round, your company can invest directly in the people and neighborhoods that keep your business thriving.
Ready to turn meals into meaningful impact? Sign up for DoorDash for Business today.
