#HopeForHospitality

This Go Fund Me will be used to provide funds for participating restaurants to use for staff members or other critical needs. 

About #HopeForHospitality

Hospitality entrepreneur Gaurav “G” Patel (https://gpreneur.me/about/) is on a mission to help his friends in the hospitality industry stay on their feet during the hardship brought by COVID-19. Last week, G launched a partnership with local restaurant peers to provide one free meal per weekday to affected workers in the hospitality industry. 

So far, partners on board to support the growing initiative include Jake Wood’s Lawrence Barbecue (https://www.lawrencebarbecue.com/), Jon Seel’s Virgil's Original Taqueria (http://virgilstacos.com/), Samad Hachby’s Mulino Italian Kitchen & Bar (https://mulinoraleigh.com/), Niall Hanley’s The Raleigh Beer Garden (https://theraleighbeergarden.com/), G Patel’s Edwards Mill Bar & Grill (https://www.edwardsmillbarandgrill.com/), Jason Smith’s Cantina 18 (https://www.18restaurantgroup.com/cantina-18-raleigh), Michelle Woodward’s Diced (https://www.dicedsalads.com/), Sullivan’s (https://sullivanssteakhouse.com/raleigh/), and Chris Powers/David Woody Lockwood/David Meeker’s State of Beer (https://www.stateof.beer/).

Impacted members of the hospitality community can sign up for meals at https://gpreneur.me/2020/03/hopeforhospitality-free-meals-for-hospitality-professionals-displaced-due-to-covid-19/.

Covid-19 Impact on NC Hospitality

COVID-19 has already had a large impact on the hospitality industry in North Carolina. G, along with other restaurant leaders, citing impact statistics from the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (https://ncrla-covid-19.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Projected-Economic-Impact-of-Coronavirus-in-on-North-Carolina.pdf) noting that, when combined, “restaurant and lodging establishments provide jobs for more than 13% percent of the state’s workforce and generate more than $23.5 billion in sales annually. Direct job losses of employees who serve the North Carolina hospitality community and work in restaurants and hotels is estimated to be approximately 385,000”. The data already collected estimates that “more than 75% (361,425) of North Carolina’s restaurant and foodservice workforce has faced layoffs as a result of closures and reduction of staffing associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.”