The Big Change Uber Eats Is Making To Support Black-Owned Restaurants

Protests that swept the nation and the world after the horrific killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis have led to a number of large businesses and corporations expressing solidarity with the Black community.

One such expression of solidarity was from Uber Eats, which according to Thrillist, won't charge Black-owned restaurants delivery fees through the end of the year. The announcement was made by Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi by email last Thursday.

Due to quite a bit of reporting about the issue during the coronavirus pandemic, the public has found out that the delivery fees charged by companies such as Uber Eats can be substantial (via Eater). Some cities took steps to cap the percentage. For example, in April, Seattle limited the fees that delivery companies charge restaurants to 15 percent. If not limited by states, delivery apps can charge restaurants between 10 and 30 percent. For a restaurant doing big business, the fees can really add up.

The Uber Eats app will also make available a list of Black-owned restaurants so it's easy for customers to support them and put their money where their mouths are. Khosrowashahi also committed to increasing the company's diversity profile — less than 10 percent of Uber employees are Black. Uber also announced plans to donate $1 million to the Equal Justice Initiative and Center for Policing Equity.

"I wish that the lives of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others weren't so violently cut short," the email from Khosrowshahi read. "I wish that institutional racism, and the police violence it gives rise to, didn't cause their deaths. I wish that all members of our Black community felt safe enough to move around their cities without fear."

The CEO acknowledged that the moves were just a drop in the bucket and that the company would have to continue making substantial changes going forward. "We know this isn't enough," Khosrowshahi wrote. "It won't be enough until we see true racial justice. But we plan to work day in and day out to improve, learn, and grow as a company. Lastly, let me speak clearly and unequivocally: Black Lives Matter."