In a gesture of solidarity for small businesses across the UAE, Yolk Brands is offering free meals from Pickl and BonBird.
The move comes as restaurants and SMEs face mounting pressures – rising costs, lower visitor numbers and the wider ripple effects of geopolitical tensions in the region.
“Our journey with Pickl and BonBird has always been shaped by the community around us,” said CEO Stave Flawith. “The support we’ve received over the years is something we’ve never taken for granted and it’s why showing up for others matters just as much. When you back a homegrown business, it creates a ripple effect; you’re also supporting their teams, suppliers and partners behind it. That sense of shared growth is what makes this community so special and we’ll always do our part to give back to it.”
On social media, both brands invited followers to nominate small businesses in need of a “pick-l me up”, with Pickl offering burgers and BonBird sending fried chicken meals to homegrown operators. The campaign underscores the importance of local support and the interconnectedness of UAE’s hospitality ecosystem.
The timing of Yolk Brands’ initiative comes against a backdrop of recent shocks to the UAE hospitality industry due to the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war.
Yolk Brands’ gesture is a reminder that supporting local businesses strengthens the ecosystem, from staff to suppliers and that community-led hospitality can endure even when external pressures mount. For UAE small business owners, a burger or fried chicken meal may be a small gesture, but in a market defined by generosity and resilience, it carries a big message: you are not alone.
