quote:
Chef Rick Bayless has partnered with US Foods to provide food and income to unemployed restaurant workers.
Beginning Monday, Bayless’ original restaurant, Frontera Grill, will become the center of the operation. Fifteen laid-off restaurant workers will be paid to sort grocery boxes, each containing 30 pounds of food — produce, bread, dried ingredients, poultry and meat — for distribution among a growing number of participating restaurants, including Antique Taco, Carnitas Uruapan, Honey Butter Fried Chicken, Rome’s Joy Catering and Lula Cafe.
The team will process 800 boxes per week, with the goal of stocking the pantries of laid-off workers from the participating restaurants. Distribution is limited to those employees. More restaurants are expected to be added.
“As soon as restaurants began to shutter, our thoughts immediately turned to getting food to the most vulnerable people in our industry,” Bayless said. “This project can touch the lives of many thousands of displaced workers.”
The program is funded by a $250,000 gift from an anonymous private foundation in Chicago, and began with a phone call from US Foods to Bayless’ team to offer support with their community efforts.
“We are honored to be collaborating with Chef Rick Bayless,“ said Anthony Kingsley, Local and Sustainable Product lead at US Foods. “US Foods has a long-standing commitment to helping our restaurant operators as they support our communities, and that has never been as important as it is today.”
In addition, Rick and Deann Bayless have established an emergency fund, from which employees can borrow up to $500 at a time, interest free. Frontera’s manager-led employee relief fund, nearing $17,000, is still collecting funds; the total collected by the end of Monday will be matched by an anonymous donor. To donate, go here.
