Grab has been supporting small local restaurants during COVID-19
When the COVID-19 outbreak escalated in Myanmar in March 2020, Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading super app, evaluated ways to support local food and beverage (F&B) businesses that were among the first to be affected by the pandemic. Dining-in for customers was not allowed and many F&B businesses were forced to decide if they would continue operations.
This led Grab to develop the #SupportLocal campaign which rallied the Yangon community to make food and drink purchases from more than 70 small independent food establishments and hawkers through the on-demand digital food delivery service GrabFood.
The #SupportLocal campaign, which was initiated from May to July 2020, provided a critical boost to the GrabFood merchant-partners involved and is a reason why they managed to weather the storm and are able to continue running their businesses today.
(1) Merchant-partners enjoyed a 22 percent increase in delivery orders
(2) Merchant-partners received 5 times more orders from new and unique customers
(3) Merchant-partners received the most GrabFood orders during breakfast and lunchtime, helping the F&B businesses generate income during the daytime as a curfew was imposed
(4) Grab invested USD 20,000 to promote the merchant-partners during the campaign period 
Photo Source https://web.facebook.com/GrabFoodSG/
Merchant-partners were promoted through promoted digital banners and ads in the Grab App, paid-promotional posts and videos on Facebook, Google advertising campaigns, as well as the engagement of online influencers such as food bloggers and celebrities to share content on social media platforms
Tin Tin Aye Htate Tan Motehinkhar Yankin was of the selected GrabFood merchant-partners to be supported by the #SupportLocal campaign. The restaurant, located in Yankin Township in Yangon offers motehinkhar, a variety of salads and noodle dishes, as well as drinks that are perfect for breakfast and lunchtimes.
“When COVID-19 hit, we were faced with difficult decisions to make. One of the key reasons why we continued our business was because of the hope that we may receive orders through the GrabFood delivery service. What eventually happened was beyond my expectations! Within a day, we had a ‘digital store’ on the GrabFood platform, and on average, 30 percent of my business came from digital orders. Our restaurant was part of the #SupportLocal campaign and we were featured in a TV commercial. You can’t imagine how happy I was, and still am, to see delivery-partners show up daily to my restaurant to pick up orders. Looking back at past months, I’m not sure what would have happened if COVID-19 struck at a time when we didn’t have digital tools like GrabFood. I wish to thank Grab and GrabFood customers for helping us to stay open,” said Daw Kyi Aung, owner of Tin Tin Aye Htate Tan Motehinkhar Yankin. 
Photo Source https://web.facebook.com/GrabFoodSG/
During the #SupportLocal campaign, hundreds of local F&B businesses in Yangon and Mandalay registered to be a GrabFood merchant-partner. Grab’s digital platform serves as the much-needed innovation to help F&B businesses in Yangon and Mandalay serve customers through delivery orders facilitated by GrabFood.
“People in Yangon and Mandalay will remember the lockdown period and the strange sights of the empty streets, with only food delivery-partners on the road working tirelessly to bring meals to peoples’ doorsteps. Through the #SupportLocal campaign, we were uplifted at how GrabFood customers and the Yangon community came together and patronized small food establishments. Every GrabFood order, big or small, contributed to help our merchant-partners sustain their businesses. Our work is far from over and we will continue to support restaurants and merchant-partners to get back on their feet by growing income opportunities for them,” said Cindy Toh, Country Head, Grab Myanmar.
Small, independent food establishments and hawkers who wish to be a GrabFood merchant-partner can contact +959765421049 or email gf.mm.merchants@grab.com.
