Nominate Your Favorite Black-owned Restaurant to Receive $25,000 From Discover

The coronavirus pandemic has had a brutal impact on many small businesses, with restaurants, in particular, suffering a loss of revenues from mandates to switch to takeout-only models or to limit dine-in capacity. Discover is stepping up to help, with a commitment of $5 million to Black-owned restaurants.

From now through the end of October, consumers can nominate their local Black-owned restaurants via social media to receive $25,000 each.

Here’s how:

Twitter: Tweet or reply to Discover’s post about its $5 million commitment with a restaurant nomination including @Discover, #EatItForward and #Sweepstakes and @ mention the restaurant’s Twitter account or the name of the restaurant.
Instagram: Upload a photo taken by user that is associated with the nominated restaurant and include @Discover, #EatItForward, #Sweepstakes and @ mention the restaurant’s Instagram account or restaurant name within the photo caption.
Facebook: Nominate a restaurant in the comments section of Discover’s post about its $5 million commitment.

Anyone who’s a legal U.S. resident and of age can make up to five nominations per social media platform.

“COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on businesses across the United States, and we want to help effect positive change by offering financial support to Black-owned restaurants, a segment of the economy that has been disproportionately impacted during this pandemic,” said Julie Loeger, Discover executive vice president and president of U.S. Cards, in a press release.

“Our company was founded on a belief in doing the right thing,” the Discover website states. “We support Black-owned restaurants as part of our commitment to fighting systemic racism and injustice and driving change to create a diverse, inclusive, and equitable place for people to work and live.”

To kick off the program, Discover has already awarded $25,000 each to three Black-owned restaurants: Back in the Day Bakery in Savannah, Georgia, owned by Cheryl Day; Post Office Pies in Birmingham, Alabama, owned by John Hall; and Rodney Scott’s BBQ in Birmingham and Charleston, South Carolina. You can find out more about each restaurant on Discover’s #EatItForward site.

Discover will select a total of 200 restaurants. The remaining winners will be randomly drawn weekly between July 13 and Nov. 2. Winners must be at lest 50% Black-owned, located in the U.S. or its territories, and meet the definition of a restaurant as an establishment that prepares and sells ready-to-eat food, including: ice cream shops, bakeries, food trucks, coffee shops, and bars, wineries, and cocktail lounges that serve food.