Richmond restaurant owners and chefs are joining Canadian culinary leaders a new movement to support the foodservice industry during COVID-19.
Canada Takeout, a movement by Canadian restaurant owners, leaders and chefs, has declared every Wednesday to be “Takeout Day” and encourages Canadians to support local restaurants by ordering takeout or delivery, with a Canada-wide kick-off on April 15.
Shanna Munro, president and CEO of Restaurants Canada, said that “restaurants are vital to the social and economic fabric of communities across Canada” and that the food service business can be tough even during the “best of times.”
“Not only was our industry among the first to feel the impacts of COVID-19, we’ve been one of the hardest hit so far, with nearly two-thirds of our workforce now lost,” said Munro.
“We would love to see Canadians embrace #TakeoutDay and support those restaurants who are still able to operate through takeout or delivery.”
Pay Chen, an ambassador for Canada Takeout, said the initiative intends to save not only businesses but to preserve our culture through the culinary industry.
“Our robust and diverse culinary scene is an integral part of Canada’s unique identity and we stand to lose an important part of our culture and heritage if we don’t do our part,” said Chen.
During the kick-off, Canada’s Great Kitchen Party will be hosting a live variety show with music entertainment via Facebook at 5 p.m. PST on April 15.
The show will be headlined by artists including Jim Cuddy, Alan Doyle, Ed Robertson, Barney Bentall and Tom Cochrane.
For more information, visit CanadaTakeout.com
