Image: Marcello Mastroianni

There are many ways to help those in the restaurant industry that have been hit disproportionately hard by the public health crisis.  We rightfully praise medical professionals for going to work to help us through this.  It should not be lost that the restaurant industry and its employees’ livelihoods (along with many other small businesses) were essentially sacrificed to protect the larger society.  They are one of many groups that took one for the team.  Here is your chance to help them out.  Below are links to help employees – almost all of whom were laid off in one -fell swoop.  (For ways to help restaurants through gift cards or doing take-out/delivery see this page)

One overarching effort that those in the industry are focusing on is advocating for greater federal and local government support.  This open letter from Indie Chef Community is a good summary of the effort.  At the top of that agenda is “The expansion of Unemployment Insurance up to full lost wages for employees while closed for the duration of the crisis.”

Other efforts are more directly aimed at support to laid-off employees, see below for those.

Restaurant-sponsored Relief Efforts and other direct methods:

Virtual Tip Jar: Verified accounts have been entered on a spread sheet so that you can donate directly to bartenders and servers that need your support.  Donate to those whose name you recognize or randomly.  It all helps.

Restaurant Programs:

NOTE:  Laura Hayes at WCP is doing a similar list.  Be sure to check that out too.

Tail Up Goat/Reveler’s Hour set up a page to directly support staff by donation cards or buying merch.

Bad Saint gift cards go 100% to provide relief to its staff.

Jose Andres (Think Food Group): “We made a special gift card for 20% off and the money goes half to continue to extend pay and benefits and half to our ThinkFamilyFund.”

Fabio Trabocchi (Fiola, Fiola Mare, Del Mar, Sfoglina) set up a employee relief fund through the Greater Washington Community Foundation.  All merch sales are also going to support the remaining staff.  There are also individual restaurant GoFundMe efforts:

• Fiola Employee Relief Fund
  Sfoglina Downtown Tipped Employee Fund
  Fiola Mare Tipped Employee Relief Fund
  Fiola Mare BOH
  Sfoglina Van Ness Tipped Employee Relief Fund
  Del Mar Tipped Employees Disaster Fund
  Sfoglina Rosslyn Tipped Employee Fund

Hank’s Oyster Bars is giving all gift card proceeds go to staff relief through April 15, and there is a t-shirt to help too for $50.

Call Your Mother/Timber Pizza – They are continuing to pay staff despite being closed, which considering the ease of selling their product for take out is an insanely brave decision.  All Merch sales help paying staff: Timber Merch; Gift Card. Call Your Mother Merch; Gift Card.

Cane – All Gift Card sales go to staff.

Robert Wiedmaier Restaurants (Brasserie Beck, Marcel’s, Lock 72, Wildwood Kitchen, Mussel Bar & Grille and Keystone Korner) Fundly Page

Go Fund Me Pages:

(In no particular order.  There are many more, search online if you don’t see a place you are looking for)

Across The Pond

Albi

Annie’s Steakhouse

Ambar – Capitol Hill

Boqueria – also 100% of gift card proceeds  until March 30th will go toward the fund.