Title Image: Marble + Rye lines up its to-go offerings.

When a simple post on social can financially help our friends and neighbors in the restaurant scene

Rich Products, one of our region’s largest employers, has built its business around providing food to schools, colleges and universities, retail outlets, and of course, restaurants. In this unprecedented time, its major customers have been forced to close their doors or limit their services. Those customers include another one of our region’s largest employers, our restaurant scene. The food we serve in Buffalo, from wings and pizza to fine dining, French to Vietnamese, Mexican to Somali is what makes our city so special and unique.

When we’re on the other side of this COVID moment in our history, there will be a major push from us and other outlets all over town to get out to restaurants and lift them back up. But they need help making it through this storm first. #TheGreatAmericanTakeout has been a push for weeks now, encouraging people to order take out food and cocktails from their favorite establishments, but today is special.

“On Tuesday, April 14, Rich’s will donate $5 to the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund up to $25K for every social media post tagged with #TheGreatAmericanTakeout. The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation created RERF.US to support U.S. industry workers impacted by COVID-19. This is the fourth straight week of The Great American Takeout which simply encourages takeout or delivery orders to support our nation’s restaurants,” says Kevin Spratt, Senior Vice President, Foodservice Division at Rich Products.

“While COVID-19 may have temporarily paused our ability to come together over great food and conversation, it cannot stop our creative spirit,” Spratt added. “Supporting #TheGreatAmericanTakeout and the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund is one small thing we can do to help our valued foodservice operators in this time of great need. The best part is – it’s something everyone can get behind. Order takeout on April 14 and you’ve done your part.”

So if you have the means, get out there and do some takeout! Keep our restaurants going. If you don’t have the means, this is when a post about it, using #TheGreatAmericanTakeout can still have a financial impact for our friends.

Stay safe. Stay positive. We’ll be dining together again soon.