Uber Eats creates Palestinian category after Toronto restaurant controversy
CBC
Uber Eats is creating a Palestinian category after several Toronto restaurants were mislabelled as "Israeli" last weekend.
The food delivery app confirmed Saturday it will introduce the new category globally next month, following criticism from restaurant owners who noticed their establishments were showing up under searches for "Israeli" despite not being Israeli.
"This is a Canadian-made gift for all Palestinians all over the place. This is unbelievable," said Costa Warwar, who is Palestinian and one of the restaurant owners who fought for the change as head chef and part owner of Flaming Stove.
Warwar became emotional talking about what the change means for him.
"I'm used to living in a world as a Palestinian that's full of disappointment, injustice and inequality. And that was the norm for me. It's like a companionship that you get used to," he said.
"But today what happened, through a small little win ... it's an emotional thing to say, but it's almost like I've been seen. And I'm equal to stand shoulder to shoulder with any other person who is a chef somewhere who's creating food that comes from where his essence and his culture come from."
Levant Pizza, a Palestinian Lebanese pizzeria, shared a post on Instagram Friday saying the change has a "profound" impact.
"Palestinian cuisine will now prominently feature on a global food platform, allowing thousands of restaurants worldwide to showcase their identity," the post reads.
Levant drew public attention to the Israeli miscategorization last weekend, calling it a "blatant anti-Palestinian action" in a since-removed Instagram post that received more than 1,300 comments. Toronto content creator Hamsa Diab Farhat published a TikTok about the issue that has been watched more than 326,000 times, and many Uber Eats users expressed anger with the company on social media, with some calling for a boycott.
The uproar led to a series of discussions between Toronto restaurant owners and Uber Eats representatives, culminating in the creation of the Palestinian category. Uber Eats already has numerous specific categories for other international cuisine, including Lebanese, Pakistani, Egyptian, Turkish, Afghan and Iranian.
Company spokesperson Keerthana Rang said in an email Saturday that the Palestinian category will be available on the app by Jan. 14. Rang said Uber Eats is grateful to Levant Pizza for raising the issue, and that merchants will be able to reach out to the app's support team to request a Palestinian category tag starting in early January.
"This issue pertained to search," Rang said. "A number of factors influence search results including selection, frequency, and conversion. 'Israeli' has been listed and searched more times than 'Palestinian,' influencing search expansion. Uber Eats also didn't have a Palestinian category previously, which also contributed."
Warwar said he is unsure whether the move will ultimately benefit Flaming Stove. He said he recognizes that he might be compromising his restaurant by speaking out on a controversial issue, and is preparing for a potential loss of business.
"But I also made the decision that, for my kids, for what I immigrated into this country for, why I am here, I can stand up for what's right for me — to be proud of who I am, and to make my kids be proud of who they are as Canadian-Palestinians. They deserve this," he said.
This First Person column is the experience of Shannon Flaman, who lives in Red Deer, Alta. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
City staff are working on long-term plans to prevent toxic and smelly algae blooms at the Hamilton harbour – and short-term plans to mitigate blooms when they happen – but are cautioning residents that it's not the type of problem with a quick fix.
Another blockade of the Ambassador Bridge wouldn't play out like what happened in February 2022 — thanks to police being empowered to act faster and harder, according to a report that's going to Windsor city council next week.
On the first day of 2025, Alberta's default electricity rate is set to be replaced by the new "rate of last resort," in what the province says is a bid to protect consumers from a volatile electricity pricing landscape.
Canadians and Americans sit next to each other in the stands of a small Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., hockey arena to watch the Soo Thunderbirds face off against their cross-border rivals, Michigan's Soo Eagles.
A number of school bus routes in northwestern Ontario have been cancelled Wednesday after a dump of snow overnight in the region. A number of weather advisories also remain in effect in the region, including snow squall warnings in the Greenstone area.
Waterloo regional councillors have voted down a motion that would have asked the Waterloo Regional Police Service to cut $4 million from its proposed 2025 budget.
Residents of a neighbourhood in the heart of downtown Charlottetown hope to have a community garden in place on some vacant land by the time spring arrives.
Planting trees is a popular way to mitigate climate change, but in northern and Arctic regions, it may not be an effective solution.
The RCMP says it's considering deploying Mounties-in-training to help police the Canada-U.S. border as political anxiety over border control mounts in the face of tariff threats from the incoming Trump administration.
Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were honoured Tuesday night before the Calgary Flames played the Columbus Blue Jackets, on the same ice where Johnny etched his place as a cherished member of the city's hockey community.