A List of Relief Funds for Coronavirus-Affected Restaurants, Bars, and Food Service Workers

March 17, 2020 Admin 0 Comments

Nonprofits and other grassroots organizations nationwide are working to help those affected by COVID-19

Restaurants across the country have been forced to close their doors in order to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, either by choice or as a result of state or municipal orders to enforce social distancing. So now, many are in trouble. Diners can help in a number of ways — ordering delivery or buying gift cards, for example. But a number of companies, nonprofits, and grassroots initiatives are allowing individuals to make a direct financial contribution to the restaurants and bars that make their cities a better place to live — as well as the workers behind those establishments — during this difficult time.

Below is a list of funds to which diners can donate and restaurants or their staff can find financial help; it will be updated as new information becomes available.

Help for Restaurants

Dining Bond Initiative

Like government-issued war bonds, the Dining Bond Initiative seeks to bring in immediate cash in exchange for future restaurant purchases. Diners can buy gift certificates sold at a 25 percent discount ($100 worth of food for a $75 bond) to be redeemed in the restaurant within the next month or two, depending on how individual restaurants decide to honor the bonds. The program is open to all restaurants.

Grubhub Community Relief Fund

Grubhub announced the Grubhub Community Relief Fund, routing funds from its pre-existing Donate the Change program to charitable organizations supporting delivery workers and restaurants. The company is working with officials in each city to identify the best uses for the money. Grubhub is also waving $100 million in commissions it usually charges restaurants.

Southern Smoke Foundation

Following the cancelation of SXSW in Austin and restaurant closures across Texas, Houston chef Chris Shepherd’s Southern Smoke Foundation is accepting donations from well-wishers and applications for funds from restaurants.

Help for Restaurant and Delivery Workers

Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation

The RWCF, which works across a number of labor issues in the restaurant industry, launched the RWCF COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund. The fund collects donations to provide relief to individual workers affected by the coronavirus and to create zero-interest loans to businesses.

Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation

One Fair Wage

The OFW campaign, a nonprofit advocating against sub-minimum wage laws for tipped restaurant workers, launched the OFW Emergency Fund. The target $213,000 (based on the federal tipped minimum wage of $2.13/hour) will provide immediate cash assistance to restaurant employees, delivery workers, and other tipped workers in the food industry. Demand from restaurants on OFW is already surging. Sally Kohn, a representative for OFW, tells Eater, “We’ve received about six more times the number of requests as we’ve received donations. The crisis is huge.”

C’ville Restaurant Fund

In Charlottesville, VA, a grassroots fund on GoFundMe is raising donations to help restaurant employees pay critical bills, buy groceries, secure medications, and get around town. The goal for the effort is $10,000.

Service Worker’s Coalition

A number of workers from Andrew Tarlow’s restaurants in Brooklyn banded together to collect funds over Venmo for restaurant workers and organize volunteers to deliver groceries to people unable to leave their homes.

Giving Kitchen

The Giving Kitchen provides financial aid to restaurant workers in Georgia affected by different financial crises. The group is using one-time donations and funds from its recurring Pass the Hat campaign to help workers during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Hook Hall Helps

D.C. beerhall Hook Hall partnered with Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington to fund Hook Hall Helps, which creates care packages for restaurant workers that include food and other household essentials.

Seattle Hospitality Fund

Another GoFundMe campaign looks to help Seattle hospitality workers, with the ultimate goal of $100,000. According to one of the organizers, Jessica Tousignant, the “aim is to center the most vulnerable members of our community and work our way out from there. Those who don’t have access to government assistance at this time, BIPOC, LGBTQI+, disabled, and immunocompromised folks.”

Help for Bars and Bartenders

USBG Bartender Emergency Assistance Program

The United States Bartenders Guild is helping bartenders affected by the virus through its emergency assistance program. The guild is getting help from Jameson Irish Whiskey, who have pledged $500,000 toward the effort.

If you have any information about other groups collecting donations, please reach out or leave us a tip.