- Restaurant owners and employees are creating GoFundMe pages and other crowdsourced funds to help support workers laid-off during the coronavirus shutdown.
- New York City and other cities and states across the nation limited restaurants, bars, and cafes to delivery and takeout only to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
- Some GoFundMe pages started by employers have raised more than $68,000 to help laid-off workers.
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Restaurant workers and owners in New York City and other places around the country are trying to raise money for employees laid off during the coronavirus shutdowns.
New York City reduced all restaurant, bar, and cafe operations to take-out and delivery services only on Tuesday in an effort to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. The curtailment on restaurants and other eateries has been enforced in other cities and states including Florida, California, and Washington.
As foot traffic grinds to a halt in some of the country's most populous areas, restaurant owners and food-service employers are feeling the financial repercussions. In order to keep their businesses afloat, restaurant owners have laid-off thousands of restaurant workers in New York City alone.
That's why employees and employers alike have taken to the internet to start crowdsourced funding for workers laid-off during the coronavirus shutdowns. Dozens of local GoFundMe pages in cities like Austin, Texas, Seattle, Washington, and Atlanta, Georgia — as well as other online sourcing for donations — were launched for laid-off workers to support their families, pay rent, and buy groceries, according to a report by Eater.
Some of the pages such as New York City's Matter House and Grovehouse GoFundMe pages have raised more than $65,000 and $68,000, respectively.
"My heart is broken that we had to close our doors at Estela, Altro Paradiso, and Flora Bar," Matter House wrote on its GoFundMe page. "While we hope and pray this is temporary, these times are incredibly overwhelming, uncertain and stressful for us all, especially our staff."
Smaller funds such as Heisler Hospitality's Employee Fund in Chicago raised more than $10,000. But they're not the only ones. Dozens of other pages trying to raise money for employees plaster the GoFundMe website.
Most of the restaurant's GoFundMe pages end with a message similar to Matter House's, "As we continue to be safe and take care of each other, please consider making a donation to help support our family. Every single dollar counts."
If you want to donate to a local organization raising money near you during the coronavirus outbreak check out GoFundMe.
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