Yelp is making it easier to support Latinx-owned businesses with new filter

Yelp is giving us yet another way to celebrate Latinx Heritage Month, partnering with Momento Latino to spotlight all of the Latinx-owned business on their app.

The company--which provides information, photos, and consumer reviews about business both big and small--is introducing a new label feature within the app that will notify users of Latinx-owned restaurants and businesses to support over the course of Latinx Heritage Month, and beyond. Of course, this move is especially important given the outsized impact the pandemic has had on these same businesses.

Now, Yelp users in the U.S. and Canada can filter through results by using the ‘Latinx’ label, which makes identifying community-owned businesses that much easier. Plus, you can specifically seek out Latinx-owned restaurants using the app’s “amenities” section.

The platform launched this new feature in partnership with Momento Latino, an organization that works to uplift Latinx voices by collaborating with nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, and corporate leaders. Some of their partners include actress Eva Longoria and renowned chef José Andrés.

In a post to the Yelp blog, the founder of Momento Latino, Henry R. Muñoz III, wrote, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Yelp to support Latino-owned businesses. There has never been a more important time to recognize their contributions, and with Yelp’s partnership, we’re excited to lift up their work and support their success as part of Latinx Heritage Month.”

Applying a filter is a simple way that we as consumers can support both the community and business owners not only because of Latinx Heritage Month, but also due to the pandemic.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected business owners of color, with studies by the Pew Research Center having shown that Latinx entrepreneurs have been hit especially hard. According to CNBC, 86% of Latinx-owned small businesses saw a major hit, while two-thirds didn’t even expect to continue operating past the six-month mark if conditions didn’t improve.

Now, Yelp has made it easy for consumers to find and support more Latinx-owned businesses. All Latinx entrepreneurs have to do is opt into label their business as Latinx-owned through their Yelp Dashboard--They can even request a sticker they can place on their window to show their pride in their Latinx identity.

This follows a similar move from the company in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, when they saw a major surge in consumer interest in supporting the Black community. Now, with the inclusion of Latinx businesses, it’s that much easier for consumers to support people of color when they get coffee, grab some lunch, or go shopping.