How to Support Local Restaurants Right Now
April 2, 2020
Tons of local restaurants are finding ways to provide to-go food for their communities while honoring Governor Inslee’s orders to stay home and stay healthy. We can’t all be Lizzo, who just generously bought lunch for the staff at UW Medical Center, but if you are able to support your local restaurants right now, what’s open for take-away or delivery in your neighborhood?
These resources, which are updated in an ongoing manner, will help you along the way to placing your order:
Then there are the workers themselves. Thousands of people have borne the economic brunt of our health crisis in Seattle as restaurants close and workers are laid off. Are you able to provide support during this time for those who find themselves without an income? Consider offering your donations to funds like the Seattle Hospitality Emergency Fund, which has raised, as of this writing, nearly $170,000 of its $250,000 goal. (There are also many funds going to support the restaurants themselves, like the Chinatown International District Restaurants & Other Small Businesses Relief Fund.)
Are you a hospitality worker who has been affected by a job lay-off? You can apply for local relief funds, like the one mentioned above. (Just be sure to look out for scams.) As part of the Restaurant Workers Relief Program, Salare Restaurant and others have been turned into a relief center for displaced restaurant workers to pick up meals and supplies. There are also state-offered and other more traditional sources of support, including unemployment benefits, housing assistance, food security, and beyond.
In short, although to-go orders aren’t the only way to nourish yourself during this time—think: podcasts, exercise, reading challenges, Zoom cocktail hours—they can help you de-stress. And the food industry is a vibrant, essential part of our city, one that we rely on in countless ways beyond just a meal out. Seattle Arts & Lectures and so many other organizations have always relied on the profound generosity and ingenuity of our restaurant partners, our wine and reception sponsors, and auction and dessert dash donors to our galas. Join us in offering support in any way you can.
Have you been using another helpful resource guide to navigate the restaurant world during this time? Email us at sal@lectures.org with the lists you’ve been loving, and we’ll add to this post.