NEW ORLEANS – Waitr, an on-demand restaurant platform, is starting a new Thanksgiving food drive using its popular app to help feed the needy in the communities they serve, including New Orleans. When anyone orders from their favorite restaurant using Waitr, they’ll have the option to help feed a family in their own community with a donation.
Called “Share Thanksgiving,” the food drive, that started yesterday, Monday, Oct. 16, allows Waitr users to click on the designated “Donate a Meal” button after they order. Should they choose to do so, they will then be prompted to select a dollar amount ranging from $2 to $10. Waitr and its participating restaurant partners will also match a portion of their customers’ donations.
Using all of these donations, Waitr will deliver free hot meals prepared by local restaurants to hungry families during Thanksgiving week.
“While Thanksgiving is typically a time to reflect on how fortunate we are, there are also many people who unfortunately need help putting food on their tables,” said Chris Meaux, CEO and founder of Waitr. “We’re so grateful for our customers and restaurant partners, whose combined efforts will assist us in making this Thanksgiving a day of hope for those in need.”
This year, Waitr landed $10 million in funding. The group of Gulf South-based investors was led by New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who was first introduced to Waitr’s impact at one of his Crescent City restaurants.
“Waitr’s commitment to growth from its Louisiana roots has added hundreds of quality tech jobs to the Gulf South economy,” Brees said. “When we launch a new city, it brings jobs and a positive impact to our restaurant partners and the community. I have seen firsthand how Waitr’s software platform can give a restaurant new revenue streams they might not have otherwise. We have seen the growth in our own restaurants after signing on with Waitr.”
“It is extremely gratifying that we have investors as excited about Waitr as we are,” said Meaux. “It’s almost unheard of to obtain this much funding outside of Silicon Valley and we’re especially thrilled to have Drew Brees leading the round. We’ll be using these funds to take our already proven business model to new locations across the country.”
Share Thanksgiving will be a major undertaking across the entire Southeast, as Waitr has more than 2,500 restaurant partners and a presence in more than 100 cities, reps said.
“Our goal is to ensure none of our neighbors go hungry this Thanksgiving,” said Meaux.
Launched in 2015, Waitr is an on-demand restaurant platform designed to connect local restaurants to hungry consumers. Founded in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Waitr’s mission is to develop the local food culture for communities across the United States by expanding the reach of local restaurant menus. Available on the Web, on iPhone and Android devices, Waitr is the most convenient way to discover, order and eat great food from the best local restaurants, reps said.
