UberEats & EatOkra Throw Holiday Soirée, Showcase Black-Owned Restaurants

We love a good link-up

Source: UberEats x EatOkra

UberEats and EatOkra teamed up for their 404 launch and holiday soirée that attracted tastemakers, food influencers, and industry experts to bring awareness to over 100 Black-owned restaurants across metro Atlanta.

With over 250 Black-owned restaurants in Atlanta, these partners saw fit to salute them while offering educational tools to drive commerce, build engagement and serve the community.

Source: UberEats x EatOkra

Through the Uber Eats ecosystem, EatOkra’s award-winning app featuring national Black-owned restaurants, chefs and food-makers, Goodr’s food waste sustainability model and Operation Hope’s mission to disrupt poverty, the experience amplified the importance of purposeful convening and community uplifting

“We are so excited to continue our partnership with Uber Eats and look forward to our collaboration with Goodr, The Gathering Spot and Operation HOPE to reach Atlanta’s Black-owned restaurateurs. This program is totally aligned with EatOkra’s mission,” says Anthony Edwards, Jr., CEO/Founder of EatOkra.

Guests enjoyed complimentary cocktails, a festive ambiance, Black Santa photo station, custom tote bag booth, and intimate culinary experience with chefs delighting the crowd with their specialty cuisines.

One of the highlights of the night was Big Oak Tavern that wowed the crowd with lobster tails, lamb chops, chicken and waffles and mac & cheese.

Other standouts included the heavenly buttered biscuits and shrimp & Grits from Gosha’s Breakfast Bar and salmon sandwiches from Local Green.

“By actively investing time, tools and resources into business focused-relationships, Uber hopes to educate, empower, build community and provide sustainable business solutions to these restaurateurs,” says Jenn Boldt, Regional General Manager for Uber Eats.

Additionally, Goodr–a sustainability organization that leverages technology and logistics to reduce food waste and feed local communities–will hand-select chefs to provide over 500 meals to students and seniors through Goodr’s mobile grocery store in upcoming months.

“I am honored to partner with Uber for such an impactful initiative in Atlanta. With so many food deserts and lack of access to quality food, the chef-prepared meals will be a real treat for families this holiday season, “said Jasmine Crowe, CEO of Goodr.

In addition to delivering grants in the amount of $1,000 (10) and $2500 (2) targeted towards renovations & improvements to the selected restaurants, EatOkra, Operation Hope, and Goodr will also provide mentors for those requiring financial guidance.

Continuing the momentum in 2022, Uber Eats X EatOkra will host a hybrid 3-hour summit open to minority-owned restauranteurs who want to increase business efficiencies, relationship currencies, optimization, and sustainability.

Source: UberEats x EatOkra

Attendees will receive curated educational programming to meet the expressed needs of access, growth scaling, sustainability, and networking.

“Across all the partners of Taste 404, the intent and mission are to actively implement change while encouraging success-driven metrics and meaningful relationships within the restaurant industry in Atlanta and beyond, “says Ryan Wilson, CEO of The Gathering Spot.

Additional programming includes:

Fellowship Program: EatOkra and Operation Hope will select 20 minority-owned businesses to participate in an intentional program designed to build, educate, and empower in the support of the community – and the scale and growth of their businesses.

BOR Fireside Mentoring Community: Peer-to-peer format. Powered by Uber Eats, Black-owned restaurants will create a cross-sharing intentional program designed to build, educate and empower in the support of scaling and growing their businesses. Two established and successful minority-owned restaurant owners will share their stories and wisdom on what the ingredients are necessary to the recipes of success.