Tim Love’s gift refills Empty Bowls; restaurants add carry-out, sanitize for COVID-19
Chef TIm Love announced a charity campaign and other restaurants shifted to carry-out or suspended service as Tarrant County diners adjusted to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Love wrote on Twitter that he would donate funding for 25,000 meals — $5,000 — to replace money lost when the Fort Worth-based Tarrant Area Food Bank had to cancel its annual Empty Bowls fundraiser.
Empty Bowls, a soups and stews festival. was expected to raise $300,000 and provide 1.5 million meals for those in need in Tarrant County and across the 13-county TAFB service area.
“We as a community can’t let this virus keep us from showing up,” he wrote.
“I know we can do it. I’ll start with [donating] 25k meals myself. Who’s with me? Let’s go!’
The Food Bank chimed in by posting its donation website, https://tafb.org, and mailing address, 2525 Cullen St., Fort Worth, Texas 76107.
Meanwhile, some restaurants suspended service to prevent customers from gathering too closely.
Many others adopted carry-out service so customers could continue to keep a safe distance from others to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus.
▪ The Lunch Box breakfast-lunch cafe and adjacent Black Rooster Bakery suspended all service temporarily.
Owner Immy Khan wrote online that the restaurants closed “to protect and mitigate from further spread of COVID-19.”
Khan said restaurants should suspend service as they did in Europe. He fears a serious outbreak.
▪ Taste Project, a charity restaurant supporting causes, suspended dining room service through March 30 but continued to serve takeout.
▪ Other restaurants remained open all weekend but offered delivery and carry-out so customers could stay 3 feet away from others.
Enchiladas Ole near TCU and the Hooker’s Grill burger stand in the Stockyards were among restaurants adding delivery within a radius, or service at the curb.
Other restaurants remained open but announced stepped-up cleaning procedures and proclaimed their devotion to cleanliness in food preparation, handling and delivery.
However, no restaurant reported turning away diners over age 60 or keeping patrons, diners and workers 3 feet apart, neither among the recommendations invoked by Tarrant County Public Health.
Some restaurants also accepted credit cards only (handled only by the customer). Others served with paper plates and plastic-ware only.
Several restaurateurs said business was off about 20 percent. But Facebook appeals for support for small, local restaurants seemed to helping in tight-knit neighborhoods.
▪ Chef Jon Bonnell of Bonnell’s, Buffalo Bros and Waters posted an “Urgent Request” on Facebook appealing for help.
“One thing I know for sure is that your local restaurants are all suffering,” he wrote.
“”We are all in the same boat. Our sales have evaporated and we have no idea when [or if] they may return. ... Please consider supporting your local food scene if you have the time and means to do so. ... No industry [other than the medical community] is more adamant about washing hands and cleanliness.”
This story was originally published March 15, 2020 at 5:45 AM.
