Chef and restaurateur Jose Andres, known for mobilizing feeding efforts around the world following natural disasters, plans to open a pop-up kitchen in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to serve furloughed federal employees during the ongoing government shutdown.
Andres’ nonprofit World Central Kitchen relief organization will launch the #ChefsForFeds kitchen and cafe on Pennsylvania Avenue, about a mile from the White House, to offer free hot meals and to-go items for federal workers and their families, he announced on Twitter.
Employees must show a government ID to receive food, and Andres is soliciting volunteer chefs and food donations to help with the effort. World Central Kitchen will also hand out ingredients and recipes to cook at home, according to media reports.
Andres had been offering government employees free sandwiches at all of his D.C. restaurants since the shutdown began Dec. 22, and he will continue to do so.
The shutdown is now the longest in U.S. history.
“We believe that no person should have to go through the pain of not knowing what to feed their children,” Andres, who runs multiple restaurant concepts under his ThinkFoodGroup, including The Bazaar, Jaleo and Zaytinya, said in a video posted to Twitter.
Andres, long an outspoken critic of President Trump’s policies on immigration and other issues, was nominated for a 2019 Nobel Peace Prizefor his humanitarian work.
Here’s a look at what some other restaurants are doing to aid furloughed government workers.
Fast-casual pasta chain Fazoli’s is offering government workers with a valid ID one free baked pizza spaghetti per day with purchase of a drink. The company recently extended the deal until Jan. 20.
OTG, an airport hospitality group, is giving on-duty Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees at its 10 North American airports half off all food and beverages purchased there.
TSA employees can get a free pulled pork sandwich or Strawberry Fields Salad at any free-standing Rock & Brews location.
Sweetgreen locations around Washington, D.C., will give out free salads to furloughed workers with government ID this weekend.
The Sunnyside Restaurant Group, which operates several different concepts, has several deals for government employees at its Capitol Hill Locations. Santa Rosa Taqueria has a buy one, get one free margarita offer. We, the Pizza is offering a free slice of cheese or pepperoni pizza all day Friday. And at Good Stuff Eatery, fries and a drink are free with purchase of a burger.
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