In Seattle, black and brown chefs cope with COVID-19 crisis by feeding the community
Longtime Seattle caterer Kristi Brown realized early on how bad things were going to get due to COVID-19.
"Before the restaurant industry was ever hit, caterers were slashed immediately," said the owner of That Brown Girls Cooks, which also produces and sells black-eyed pea hummus in grocery stores.
On March 4, Brown learned one of her company's biggest jobs of the month was canceled. Two days later, the company's second largest event of the year was spiked.
"That was $60,000 in revenue," said Brown, whose company's kitchen is in a shared commercial facility in the Rainier Valley. Unlike some other Seattle landlords who have reduced rent, hers had not as of last week.
"Our landlord's not being responsive," said Brown, who plans to open a restaurant and bar in the Central District.
She had to lay off her permanent and temporary catering staff, but she has got a big win this week when the city of Seattle awarded That Brown Girl Cooks a Small Business Stabilization Fund grant of $10,000, one of 250 to help lower-income entrepreneurs through the pandemic. These first grants were funded with $2.5 million in federal money, and the city is raising more through philanthropy. The goal is $15 million; pledges can be made by emailing covidpledge@seattle.gov.
https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2020/04/01/seattle-black-brown-chefs-cope-covid-19-feed-cook.html?ana=e_me_prem&j=90502576&t=Morning&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTm1FNVpEUmlOVFppTWpZeCIsInQiOiJVY083YVFWQktHeXN5bVBwdTZ3SlwvSDJiRFVFeVByQ0RlUWRncHZkVGhcL1ZsUGJ1Z3FcL0ZxOVRRYVhqXC90cnF5RVJPYWFJVnBtejF5SXRiaU5mXC9KTXY2cWVxNUV1dWVEN2NRT0VHZUJCVmc3Z1BCRnhrTWZqXC9SRzFRSmVYU2JXUyJ9
