Arabelle's Bakery of Chilliwack is one of 30 Black-owned businesses across Canada to receive a $10,000 grant from DoorDash Canada.
The Chilliwack business, a wholesale bakery operation with a storefront on Progress Way to serve the public, is buying vital equipment with the grant money.
"We needed a dough sheeter and we just bought one," said Esther Esuk, managing partner of Arabelle's Bakery, about how the grant will help them grow.
They were also able to purchase a storefront fridge, and a bread slicer to speed up packaging of the bakery's unique and tasty signature bread, the Lagos Loaf.
The Lagos Loaf is an authentic and buttery African-style bread, that's sweeter, and denser than white bread.
Lagos bread is traditional to her home city of Lagos, Nigeria, Esuk said.
"The bread slicer has been a tremendous help, and a big time saver."
The $300,000 pool of funds granted to Black-owned restaurants and Black-led culinary ventures from Door Dash Canada and the Black Opportunity Fund are meant to celebrate businesses like the Chilliwack bakery for their "entrepreneurial spirit and impact on local communities."
"We purchase all of our ingredients from local sources," Esuk said.
The #BlackFoodEnergy grants are geared to help expand the businesses, either through services, staff or equipment.
The Arabelle's Bakery in Chilliwack, which is celebrating its first anniversary this summer with special discounts next week, is the second bakery of its kind in Canada. The first Arabelle's opened in Winnipeg 10 years ago, and since then owners decided to branch out.
Restaurants and food ventures have been granted $10,000 each, in addition to a one-year membership for Restaurants Canada, courtesy of DoorDash, which will further connect culinary professionals with insights and resources that can help their business thrive. Since #BlackFoodEnergy began distributing grant funding, DoorDash Canada has provided more than $650,000 to Black-owned and Black-led businesses across the country.
鈥淲e're lucky to have an abundance of restaurants with different backgrounds and cuisines across the country to order from, but we can't forget the need to support hardworking culinary entrepreneurs searching for their dreams within the industry,鈥� said Delly Dyer, head of Consumer Brand Marketing at DoorDash Canada.
鈥淭he #BlackFoodEnergy grants are one way we're providing support for and celebration of Black-owned and Black-led businesses which will in turn fuel growth within their local communities."
Recipients of grants:
Aboki Grill (Vancouver, BC)
Arabelle's Bakery (Chilliwack, BC)
Atelier Zamara (Montreal, QC)
Chez Drey (Ottawa, ON)
Chopshaven Limited (Saint John, NB)
Datcha (Charlottetown, PE)
Delish Bar and Grillz (Calgary, AB)
Flavours Restaurant (Calgary, AB)
Jollof Life Restaurant (Winnipeg, MB)
Le Lion Blanc Restaurant (Quebec City, QC)
Ledinna's Restaurant (Saskatoon, SK)
Ma Yve Grill (Pickering, ON)
Manioky Caf茅 (Repentigny, QC)
Mesob Ethiopian Eats (Winnipeg, MB)
Mills Kitchen (Ottawa, ON)
Mixiebite鈥檚 (Montreal, QC)
Naija Food Eats (Windsor, ON)
Nganda African Street Food (Toronto, ON)
Oakville Fish & Chips (Oakville, ON)
Old Nassau (York, ON)
Plates Of Joy (Saskatoon, SK)
R&B Kitchen (Dartmouth, NS)
Rayyan Restaurant (Edmonton, AB)
Rose's Caribbean Kitchen (Brampton, ON)
Sauce Modern Caribbean Cuisine (Edmonton, AB)
SKCOOKKS (Toronto, ON)
Som Express (Edmonton, AB)
Suya Royale Grill & Chill (Ottawa, ON)
The Abibiman Project (ON)
The Commune Snack Bar (Truro, NS)
