Downtown Alliance To Help Restaurants Make Delivery And Takeout More Profitable

The Downtown Alliance has partnered with BentoBox to launch the Restaurant Online Ordering Sponsorship Program — part of a continuing effort to support businesses that are being adversely impacted by the effects of COVID-19.

BentoBox will provide eligible restaurants their own delivery and takeout platforms in an effort to help make those services more profitable. The program will offer access to a plug-and-play e-commerce experience that can be customized for each business and will cover one year of services. 

Acceptance into the program will be made on a first-come, first-served basis. 

To apply for the delivery-platform program you must be a small business located within the boundaries of the Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District (see below). A small business is defined as one that has up to 30 full-time-equivalent employees as of March 1, 2020, and gross annual revenue up to $3 million for the applicant’s most recent tax year. (This excludes national chains, franchises and businesses that have more than five locations in New York City.) To be an eligible essential small business, you must have a current lease, or an option to renew, for a ground-floor storefront business within the Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District through December 31. 

Applications go live Wednesday, August 5, at 9a and are due Friday, August 14 by 5p. All applicants will be notified of their status no later than Friday, August 21, 2020.

This week the Alliance also launched a separate initiative to help storefronts become COVID-ready.

Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District boundaries: 

photo: iStock