Operations

How restaurants are helping fire-torn Los Angeles

Here's a roundup of the ways restaurants and others in the industry are mobilizing to make a difference as firefighters gain control of the blazes that have ravaged the city.
fires in LA
The fires are increasingly under control, but more than 150,000 were still evacuated as of Friday. | Image: Shutterstock.

“Food heals people. That’s what we do.” 

So said Los Angeles chef Evan Funke in an Instagram post, talking about how the restaurant community and World Central Kitchen have responded after fires burned their way through Los Angeles last week. Funke is one of the city’s most celebrated restaurateurs, known for his concepts Felix, Mother Wolf, Funke and the Chicago restaurant Tre Dita.

Firefighters are making progress, but the blazes continued to burn on Friday, with more than 150,000 people still evacuated or waiting to be allowed to return to decimated neighborhoods. Reports indicate at least 27 people have died.

It’s not unusual for the restaurant community to rally in the aftermath of a natural disaster to be of service. But the stories coming out of Los Angeles are truly remarkable. 

Not only are restaurants feeding first responders and evacuees, fundraisers are being held across the country to support the Red Cross or organizations like World Central Kitchen. A roundup of some of those efforts are below.

Here’s a story about pizza concepts that crammed into the restaurant La Sorted to make pies as part of the newly launched LA Pizza Alliance. Organized by La Sorted’s owner Tommy Brockert, more than 25 independent operators and about 90 volunteers teamed up to make 245 pizzas that went out to first responders, displaced families and volunteers helping with cleanup.

Typically these folks would be competitors. But they came together and shared the ovens to make it happen. Among them were Apollonia’s, Pizzanista, Little Dynamite, Naughty Pie Nature, Triple Beam and more.

For Angelinos like Funke, whose parents lost their home in the Palisades fire, it’s personal and emotional. 

“It’s a lot more difficult to dig in when the catastrophe has touched you so closely,” he said. But you have to push the pain aside. “There are people who are hungry and thirsty.”

Among them are restaurant workers themselves, who have been thrown out of work. Even restaurants that didn’t burn have struggled with power outages and other issues, and many of those workers are hunting for other gigs, knowing it will take some time for the community to recover. 

Here's the sad story of the pizza concept Side Pie in Altadena, which was completely destroyed. Here's a GoFundMe that has been started to help owner Kevin Hockin rebuild.

There are other reverberations. Wingstop on Friday said they’re changing the name of its latest flavor. It was called Pacific Glaze, but, out of respect for the Los Angeles community, the chain decided to rename it Sweet Chili Glaze.

Here’s a roundup of efforts to support Los Angeles (in addition to the free food offered across the city from more restaurants than can be listed here):

OpenTable has pledged more than $1 million in support, starting with a donation of $100,000 to help offset the costs for LA-based restaurants that are offering relief. For LA County restaurants on OpenTable, monthly subscription fees from January through April will be waived. And there’s a GoFundMe for consumers to offer support, with the goal of raising $50,000.

DoorDash is waiving all fees on orders from more than 3,000 select local restaurants in the impacted areas through Sunday. The delivery company also donated $1 million to World Central Kitchen, provided gift cards to first responders, and allocated $400,000 in relief grants to restaurants and delivery drivers.

From the California Restaurant Foundation, Restaurants Care has opened a $200,000 disaster fund to kick-start direct assistance to food-and-beverage workers who need immediate help. Grants of up to $1,500 are available for things like housing, food and clothing. Grants are awarded based on need and available funds. Apply for help here. Or make a donation to support the fund here.

There’s also a helpful toolkit for those who want to do their own fundraiser.

On Jan. 20-21, CPK will donate 20% of all food-and-beverage sales to the Red Cross when guests indicate that’s why they came in, or if they use the code REDCROSS for online orders at checkout.

Denny's truck

Denny’s is sending one of its massive Mobile Relief Diners to Los Angeles, on Jan. 22-27. It will park in various locations and serve hot breakfasts.

Evan Funke is joining an all-star lineup of chefs and restaurateurs in Chicago (Grant Achatz, Rick Bayless, Lee Wolen, CJ Jacobsen, Meg Galus, Thai Dang, Hisanobu Osaka and Max Robbins) for a multi-course dinner dubbed From Chicago With Love at Salon 61 on Jan. 23. Proceeds will benefit World Central Kitchen’s efforts in Los Angeles. Tickets are $2,500 including beverage pairings.

Raising Cane’s has pledged $250,000 to the American Red Cross to support wildfire efforts by encouraging guests to make a donation through Sunday.

Raising Canes

In addition to donating $1 million in free burritos, Chipotle is inviting guests to round up their checks to benefit the Red Cross.

The Ghost Kitchen Crew and EHS Recruiting Company have been delivering meals to various sites around the city where people are displaced. There’s a GoFundMe to help keep the program going. 

Irvine, California-based Galpao Gaucho Brazilian Steakhouse this weekend is donating 10% of proceeds from every rodizio meal to the Orange County Fire Authority.

Fat Sal’s launched a new sandwich called The Fat Hero, with a portion of proceeds going to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.

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