Cambridge area restaurants will provide meals to the homeless community during the coronavirus crisis, in contracts with the city, which will also provide some support to employees hard hit by restrictions on restaurants.
Manny Ramirez, a co-owner of Black Sheep Bagel Cafe on JFK Street in Harvard Square, said his business is glad to participate in the program after the massive hit it took when Harvard University sent its students home earlier this month.
“To be honest, it’s mostly about helping the community and those that need it,” Ramirez said Sunday. “It’s more of how we can help as a business. It’s not really bringing in the revenue that we need to stay afloat, that’s extremely difficult.”
State regulations restricting on-site consumption have forced restaurants to close and others to resort to carryout and takeout services, a move which many restaurants will not survive, according to a survey conducted by the Central Square Business Improvement District last week.
“Sixty percent of respondents will not survive another eight weeks at this rate,” Michael Monestime, the executive director of the Central Square BID, said in the survey, which 51 businesses responded to.
Cambridge spokesman Jeremy Warnick said Sunday nearly a dozen area restaurants have expressed interest in signing a contract to give meals to area shelters in need.
“I think it’s a really unique approach, that’s a win-win for everybody, especially our residents that are homeless,” Warnick said. “It’s giving back to the local restaurants and the city in terms of finding a way to support these key populations and key groups.”
Food for Free, a nonprofit which supplies food to shelters and meal programs with the aid of food banks, is glad to see the restaurant program aid their efforts, Executive Director Sasha Purpura said.
“We were grateful that others are also there to step up,” Purpura said.
Denise Jillson, the executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association, said 600 meals will be delivered from Monday night through Sunday.
Harvard Square-area restaurants participating in the first week of meal distribution include late-night hot spot Pinocchio’s Pizza to Belgian waffle-maker Zinneken’s, and Mexican spots Ole and El Jefe’s Taqueria among others.
“I just appreciate (Cambridge) actually getting the boots on the ground and getting the program together so quickly,” Ramirez said, noting his cafe will be baking more bagels.
