Businesses Encouraged to Support Black-Owned Restaurants by Allowing Employees to Expense a Meal

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (August 25, 2020) – The Great American Takeout has teamed up with Constellation Brands to encourage businesses nationwide to fund their own employees’ takeout orders from Black-owned restaurants in support of National Black Business Month.

From Thursday, August 27 through Sunday, August 30, Constellation Brands is mobilizing its U.S. employee base to order a meal and/or drink from Black-owned restaurants and bars and is covering the costs of their employees’ orders. They are also encouraging their extended community and network of business partners to support this initiative and do the same by allowing their own employees to expense their meals from a Black-owned restaurant or bar.

In addition, The Great American Takeout asks all businesses, big and small, to participate in the Employees In Action movement. To participate, companies must simply allow their employees to expense a meal from Black-owned restaurants and bars between August 27 and August 30.

Individuals not affiliated with a participating business are encouraged to join the movement as well by supporting their local Black-owned restaurants and bars.

To spread the word, participants are encouraged to share photos of their food and drinks on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn using the hashtag #SupportBlackOwnedRestaurants.

“We are proud to sponsor #TheGreatAmericanTakeout in support of Black-owned restaurants and bars during these challenging times,” said Amy Martin, Vice President, Corporate Reputation and Corporate Social Responsibility at Constellation Brands. “With the collective power of our distributor partners and others who have joined us by covering the costs of their own employees’ meals, we hope to create a larger impact and a movement of support for our local communities.”

Employees In Action is the latest in a series of virtual events under The Great American Takeout umbrella. The COVID-19 crisis, which has hit Black-owned businesses disproportionately, has devastated the restaurant industry. From small independent pizzerias, sandwich shops, and taco stands, to big chain restaurants, these establishments have become reliant on takeout and delivery to survive. The Great American Takeout, a program developed and executed by Los Angeles advertising agency High Wide & Handsome, has generated widespread buzz, reaching more than 117 million people nationwide, and raised $400,000 to date for charitable organizations.

For more information about The Great American Takeout, visit www.thegreatamericantakeout.com.

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CONTACT:

Sara Dunaj

High Wide & Handsome // The Great American Takeout

860.705.5616

sara.dunaj@wearehwh.com

Amy Martin

Constellation Brands

amy.martin@cbrands.com