TAMPA, Fla. — As a way to say "thank you" and to help out restaurants that have been hit hard by the pandemic, the on-demand food delivery service Uber Eats has given out millions of dollars in grants to local food hot spots across the country. 


What You Need To Know

  •  Uber Eats has been giving out millions of dollars in grants to local restaurants across the country

  •  The company says the money is a "thank you" for their work and a helping hand for those hit hard by the pandemic

  • There are 30 Bay area restaurants that got grants from Uber Eats

Some are right here in the Bay area, like The Green Corner in Clearwater. 

Since 2014, Tiffani Harris has owned the small eatery and has poured her heart into the business.

“I’m originally from Thailand, I came to America in 2008," she said. "Everybody that comes here has opportunity."

Over the years she’s worked hard to make her restaurant a success.

“I love the fresh food — it’s right next door, it’s convenient,” said customer Brandon Plachno.

“I come about at least three or four times a week. I work right next door," said customer Jack Lindbom. "Everything on the menu is fresh and good."

Harris and her two employees kept the restaurant open throughout the entire pandemic.

It’s right near a local hospital and they serve a lot of health care workers.

“Everybody has the same break time so we’re taking a phone call, we're online,” said Harris.

The Green Corner is one of 30 restaurants in the Bay area to receive a grant from Uber Eats.

Harris said that $5,000 is going a long way.

Along with helping her to pay her staff, that money is helping Harris do something she never would have been able to do otherwise — expand the outdoor front patio area to have more visibility in the community.

Most of the restaurants receiving the grants in the Bay area are just like The Green Corner, they’re women or minority owned.

“We work really hard," Harris said. "We don’t want a handout, we want to prove ourselves."

Proving herself is something Harris does every day.

Not only does she make the food, but she’ll deliver it to you as well.

“You can be a hard worker no matter what race you are," she said. "If you put your mind to it, you’re passionate, you can do anything."

Uber Eats worked with the organization Local Initiatives Support Corporation to identify restaurants most in need.

Only small and medium-sized businesses with fewer than five locations were eligible.