Just in time for the busy holiday shopping and dining season, Yelp is making it easier than ever for consumers to support inclusive businesses. Yelp is continuing its partnership with Open to All, a non-profit that aims to protect consumers from discrimination, by launching a search filter for the “Open to All” business attribute, and partnering with the organization on their inaugural Holiday Gift Guide.
New Search Filter
The “Open to All” attribute allows businesses to distinguish themselves as a safe and welcoming place for everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, immigration status, religion or disability.
Launching today, Yelp users can filter by “Open to All” when searching for local businesses such as restaurants, shops, salons, bakeries, and more. Consumers will also be able to identify participating businesses by the newly designed “Open to All” icon displayed on their Yelp page. In making it even easier to find “Open to All” businesses, it is our hope that consumers will support businesses that are safe and welcoming for all, and that more businesses will take the pledge to be inclusive.
Every day, consumers face varied degrees of discrimination: Open to All was launched in response to the 2018 Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission ruling. With the searchable “Open to All” attribute, everyone will have the ability to seamlessly surface a bakery, venue, or tailor that has marked themselves as inclusive, and feel safe to patronize the business without fear of discrimination.
Beyond the LGBTQ+ community, discrimination unfortunately exists for many communities in our country and we are equipping consumers with the information they need to confidently engage with, or choose not to engage with, a place of business. Yelp exists to connect consumers with great local businesses and we’re doing our part to make it easier for everyone to find businesses that are safe and welcoming.
Over 300,000 businesses are listed as “Open to All” on Yelp, and businesses that want to let potential customers know that they are inclusive can activate the attribute on their page by logging into the Yelp for Business app and updating their business information. At a time of deep divisions, “Open to All” businesses are joining together from all walks of life and working to build a thriving and inclusive nation where all are welcome.
Holiday Gift Guide
As the 2019 holiday season approaches, Open to All today released its first-ever Open to All Holiday Gift Guide to encourage consumers to use their purchase power to support inclusive businesses.
Yelp’s local Community Managers in several U.S. cities helped highlight businesses for the Holiday Gift Guide, which we’ve listed below. We applaud these businesses for setting an example of inclusivity in their communities:
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- Forth and Nomad, Houston, TX
- Zen Succulent, Durham, NC
- Onatah, Indianapolis, IN
Among the Holiday Gift Guide’s featured businesses is retailer Sephora, which officially announced today it has joined the Open to All campaign. As Open to All’s newest business member, Sephora joins a growing and vocal network of major brands uniting under Open to All’s banner—including Gap Inc., Old Navy, Coach, kate spade new york, Chronicle Books, Fossil, Lacoste, Michaels Craft Stores, Steve Madden, Tiffany & Co., H&M, and thousands of small businesses.
Let us know why you support inclusive businesses, or why your business is “Open to All” on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @yelp.
