DoorDash Launches National Small Business Campaign

DoorDash may be best known as an app that delivers food and other items from local businesses straight to people’s doors.

Now, the company is launching a new national effort to empower small businesses, making it easier for them to open, operate, and grow.

The Unlocking Main Street campaign features a new policy blueprint that outlines reforms to help small businesses capitalize on $10 billion in savings and sales.

According to DoorDash, businesses spend $521 billion annually on regulatory compliance.

The company said small businesses could save $2.5 billion if permit renewals are simplified, and restaurants would generate $6.5 billion in new sales if permitting is sped up by 30 days.

Compliance Costs

For Adam Moon, owner of Lazy Daisy Café in Los Angeles, the permitting process was the hardest part of opening his restaurant.

“It can take five different people to sign off on something,” Moon said.

“Someone is always pointing out a new issue that wasn’t raised earlier.”

“In too many places, we’ve made it too hard to open and run a small business.”

DoorDash’s Max Rettig

Moon said it took double the time and money he expected to launch his business because of the permitting process.

“In too many places, we’ve made it too hard to open and run a small business,” said DoorDash global head of public policy Max Rettig. 

“Every extra permit, every delay is a hidden tax on Main Street that ultimately consumers pay for. That has to change.”

Unlocking Main Street

The campaign includes advocating for a framework of policies that make it easier to open and run a business, including shot-clock permitting that pushes governments to issue decisions in days.

The campaign also includes “First Year Free” programs which waive fees for new businesses.

The company said it plans to conduct new research into the costs of regulatory complexity.

DoorDash called it a starting point for sustained collaboration among policymakers, business owners, and local leaders to support economic growth.

“We need common sense policies that make it easier for small businesses to open, hire, and grow,” Rettig said.

“Policymakers are pushing for reform, and we’re here to back them with resources, data, and the stories of real entrepreneurs who live this every day.”

Empowering Businesses

Beyond campaigning for regulatory reform across the country, the campaign includes business workshops in 10 U.S. cities, including Hartford.

The goal is to give entrepreneurs hands-on training, guidance on using AI tools, and direct connections to local resources.

“This is how we create real economic mobility: by meeting entrepreneurs where they are, investing in their success, and ensuring they have the tools to compete and thrive,” said U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Ramiro Cavazos.

“When we unlock Main Street, we don’t just support small businesses, we strengthen a more dynamic, resilient American economy.”

U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Ramiro Cavazos

DoorDash said it is also working to amplify the voices of small businesses through DashRoots.

The grassroots advocacy network helps businesses organize, share their stories, and advocate directly for changes.

“When we unlock Main Street, we don’t just support small businesses, we strengthen a more dynamic, resilient American economy,” said Cavazos.