As with all disasters, I imagine our order of concern is: First, am I and my immediate family safe? Are we at risk? Is where I live safe? Then thoughts quickly go to: How are all my friends faring? Who has lost what, and what do they need that I can provide? Then our impulse is to check our work families and larger communities. For me, that includes the entire restaurant community of Southern California.
As soon as the fires hit and we became aware of the scale of the disaster unfolding before us, my thoughts went to chefs, cooks, caterers, everyone in the food space who, let’s not kid ourselves, have struggled to hold on post-COVID, no matter what brave and happy face they put on. I know my people and I knew the desire to offer immediate help, to feed first responders in harm's way and the people streaming from decimated neighborhoods was strong. And everyone I know started to provide comfort in the form of meals, snacks, and water right away. There is a cost to that.
These hard-working folks are pivoting from (barely) profit-making enterprises to giving away food prepared by employees who want to do it, but still need to be paid. I’ve heard from many friends that they don’t know how they will make their next payroll. Sales in all but very few bright spots are down. Food still needs to be bought and paid for at inflated prices. Some owners are comfortable being transparent on social media and are asking for donations from their diners. Others are keeping the struggle to themselves.
These businesses do more than feed us. They create third spaces for us to gather, and provide so much of the texture to cultural life here in Los Angeles.
More: Restaurants offer free meals to those affected by LA fires
My plea to everyone who values this community of cooks, restaurateurs, caterers, small grocers etc. is to patronize them now. The displacement of people from homes in the wildfire areas will have a devastating effect on small businesses adjacent to those areas. But make no mistake — the trickle-down effect will be felt by all small businesses here. So please eat out. If you elect to take out, go pick up the food yourself. Save the restaurants the up to 30% fee they pay to delivery apps. They can ill afford it now. See where you can walk to in your neighborhood, perhaps somewhere you’ve never eaten before. Give them your business now unless you want to look forward to a future where the majority of eateries are large chains with deep pockets. We need to support independent restaurants et. al now.
World Central Kitchen is doing amazing work here, and they are relying on long-time local partners who have helped out in previous disasters. Some new food businesses have been added to their roster. But the number of restaurants who want to donate dwarfs that one response.
More: World Central Kitchen ceases after deadly Israeli strike on aid convoy
Because the Red Cross obviously cannot vet every single entity that wants to provide food who is, of course, looking out for people’s safety, a myriad of ad-hoc responses has evolved.
There is one evolving list titled LA Community Meals, started by longtime LA-based PR professional Christina Gilmour. Perhaps you’ve seen it come across your social feed. The list allows you to click through to a restaurant of your choice and find the menu items offered as a donation. You simply purchase that item and the restaurant will pack it up and deliver it to someone in need, or take the money and make an outright donation to other organizations who might be better positioned to respond. Order something for yourself too, to bolster that restaurants’ take for the day. Either way, it’s a win for our extensive, generous restaurant community.
It might feel strange to go out to eat with friends in your safe and unscathed neighborhood, but truly you are helping the city. If this is teaching us anything, it’s to grab as many moments as you can with those close to you.
Also, if you’re able to support owners of restaurants that burned down but still need to make final payrolls and generally help out staff please, do so. TimeOut has a running list of LA restaurants destroyed by the Eaton and Palisades wildfires — and how to help.
Go to kcrw.com/firehelp for more information.