The economic impact of the COVID-19 public health crisis
on our local community, and particularly on the restaurant industry, will be
felt for years to come. Many restaurant employees live paycheck to paycheck and
are among the most vulnerable members of our community. The temporary closure
of our eight Santa Barbara restaurants put 350 dedicated employees on furlough,
which has been devastating. With sales dwindling rapidly and restrictions
imposed on gathering at restaurants, it was impossible for our restaurants to
remain open and survive.
In
response, we are launching a fundraising campaign to provide critical support
to our employees who are really hurting during this extraordinary time. We have
identified three critical areas of immediate need which are: continuation of
medical benefits, food supplies and small emergency grants to cover living expenses.
We are currently covering these costs internally, but those resources will run
out soon. 100 percent of the funds we receive through this campaign will go
directly to fund these employee assistance programs.
We
are in the business of creating community through food, and never has there
been a time where that is needed more. It’s been our privilege to serve the
Santa Barbara community for the last seven years and we are grateful for the
continued support of our loyal guests. We humbly make this request to those who
are looking for a way to help our community members get through this crisis. To
those who decide this is a good avenue to express support, a huge heartfelt
“Thank You!”