5 Local Movements Helping Restaurants and Healthcare Workers

Restaurants and healthcare professionals need our help in this time of COVID-19, and we need them right back. Here are a few locally-supported initiatives dedicated to saving our hospitality industry and feeding the selfless frontline workers at hospitals and treatment centers, so we can all celebrate in good health together, around a table, after COVID-19 is long gone.

PRIM Communications, a local public relations firm that works with many area restaurants, started Feeding Colorado Heroes to help the hospitality industry and our dedicated healthcare workers. Using donated funds, local independent restaurants will make meals to be delivered to ERs, ICU units, and COVID-19 treatment centers where frontline medical workers are sacrificing time with their families to care for the ill. On average, a $100 donation will feed 12 healthcare workers, all while keeping people employed in local restaurants. A definite win-win.

Aurora’s Jubilee Roasting Co. has created a program to send coffee and goodies to the frontline healthcare workers fighting COVID-19. If you buy a cup of coffee, snack, or meal for a medical professional, Jubilee will make sure it gets to them. The initiative helps keep stellar local eateries in business—Third Culture Bakery, Annette, and Stowaway Kitchen are just a few of the partners—and who doesn’t want a mochi muffin right now?

Frasca Hospitality Group (Frasca Food and Wine, Tavernetta, and Sunday Vinyl) has spearheaded the Independent Restaurant Coalition with notable chefs and restaurateurs across the country to keep them all cooking after the coronavirus crisis. The goal of saverestaurants.co is to get lawmakers to pass a six-month income replacement program so restaurant owners can pay their staff, rent, and bills. To help the cause, spread the word on social media platforms and tag your local officials.

Big Red F Restaurants (the Post Brewing Company, the West End Tavern, and others) is promoting a #saverestaurants social media campaign to bring attention to the industry’s need for assistance. The campaign urges people to call their local representatives to support emergency relief for restaurants, including expedited and increased unemployment insurance for laid-off workers, federal grants, rent and mortgage abatement, eviction protection, and other legislative action. Call the switchboard at 202-224-3121 to reach your local representative and explain how important it is to #saverestaurants.

To make it as easy as possible for diners to continue to support local restaurants, Visit Denver, EatDenver, the Colorado Restaurant Association, and Boulder Convention & Visitors Bureau collaborated to launch ToGoDenver.com, an online database of Denver and Boulder restaurants that are open for takeout and delivery during the mandated dine-in restaurant closures. Restaurant food delivery and carryout—including alcohol, under the new provisions issued by Governor Polis—are not affected by Mayor Hancock’s stay at home order for Denver. ToGoDenver.com is searchable by restaurant name, neighborhood, and cuisine, so please utilize it and support Colorado’s small businesses as often as you can.