Yelp Partners with Momento Latino to Support Latinx-owned Businesses

To celebrate Latinx Heritage Month, we’re excited to partner with Momento Latino, an organization dedicated to serving the needs and concerns of the Latinx community, to launch a new, free searchable “Latinx-owned Business” attribute on Yelp. The Latinx business community has opened more small businesses than any other demographic in the U.S., according to a recent Stanford research report, and we are thrilled to help people find and support these small businesses in their local communities and drive more dollars directly to the bottom line of these businesses.

There’s never been a more important time to support the Latinx community as COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted business owners of color and women, with Latinx entrepreneurs being among the hardest hit. A recent CNBC study found that 86% of Latinx small business owners reported significant negative impact on their businesses due to the pandemic and nearly two-thirds did not expect to be able to continue operating beyond six months if current conditions did not improve. 

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Yelp to support Latino-owned businesses,” said Henry R. Muñoz III, founder of Momento Latino. “Latinos are entrepreneurs and the fastest growing segment of small business in every state and every market sector in America, contributing over two trillion dollars annually to our nation’s economy. During COVID 19, Latino business owners were disproportionately left out of the economic stimulus effort, and have been struggling to keep their heads above water, despite the critical role their businesses play in communities across our country. 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.”

In partnership with Momento Latino, we will be amplifying the stories of Latinx small business owners throughout the United States on social media. Check out the business pages of The Art of Donut and Carnitas Don Raul to see the new attribute live today and stay tuned to learn more about them on @Yelp.

We decided to use the term Latinx because it encompasses a broader group of individuals with cultural ties to Latin America and/or of Latin American descent (including those from non-Spanish speaking countries like Brazil) and is gender neutral. Our goal is to showcase the diversity of the Latin/Hispanic community. In deciding which term to use, we took into account feedback from our Latinx and Hispanic employees, as well as a number of Latinx-serving and Latinx-led groups such as our partner Momento Latino.

All Latinx business owners can now log into their Yelp for Business dashboard to mark themselves as Latinx-owned. The new searchable Latinx-owned business attribute is free and opt-in only, as the decision to self-identify as Latinx-owned should rest solely with the business.

If you’re a Latinx-owned business and would like to receive a window decal to proudly display on your storefront, please fill out this form to receive one. Learn more here. You can also read our Latinx business owner hub for more tips and resources. To read this blog post in Spanish, click here.

Share your favorite Latinx-owned businesses with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @Yelp!