JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — As the coronavirus continues to take a toll on people’s health, it’s also taking a toll on the food-service industry with many restaurants and their employees concerned about their next paycheck. But Uber Eats wants to ease those fears and wants to make sure restaurants can focus on food, not finances.
Starting Monday, Uber Eats has set up a support package, which spokesperson for Uber Florida, Javi Correoso, says will support both customers and restaurateurs.
The company has waived all delivery fees for independent and small business-owned restaurants in Jacksonville.
“We’re trying to make it as easy as possible for people to enjoy their favorite meals from their favorite local restaurants from the comfort of their home,” Correoso said.
While Uber Eats tries to keep a semblance of normalcy for people who eat out, they also want to support local restaurants who are feeling financial stress.
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“Restaurants who are on the Uber Eats platform are going to receive daily payouts,” said Correoso, instead of having to wait until the end of the week to cash out their earnings.
“For us, it’s about helping those restaurants during tough times,” he said.
Uber Eats is also taking care of the health and safety of its drivers, providing sanitation supplies for their cars and contactless delivery, where food can be dropped off at your doorstep.
If a driver does contract COVID-19 or is required to be quarantined, they won’t have to worry about a paycheck. Uber Eats will pay up to 14 days of sick pay.
The company will also deliver 300,000 free meals nationwide to first responders. Correoso says he has been speaking with Governor Ron DeSantis, as well as the Florida Department of Health to determine if, when, and how many meals Florida first responders will receive from Uber Eats.