Celebrate the Good: A Unique Partnership Works to Protect the Restaurant Industry
Recognizing the challenges the world has faced in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the LEE Initiative (Let’s Empower Employment) and Maker’s Mark stepped up to deliver support for the food, beverage, and hospitality industry. The shutdowns across the country affected the operation, supply chains, and consumer base for the restaurant business making it difficult to find everyday resources as well as the personal protective equipment necessary to safely serve customers. Award-winning Louisville chef, author, and restaurateur, Edward Lee and the LEE Initiative Program Managing Director, Lindsey Ofcacek, recognized the permanent damage the pandemic could do to the whole industry and began developing ideas to support the food and beverage industry with the help of the Kentucky based bourbon distillery, Maker’s Mark.
Their first idea focused on meeting the immediate needs of the restaurant industry in order to help them weather the pandemic and meet staff members’ needs. Beginning in March, the LEE Initiative, with the help of Maker’s Mark, provided freshly cooked meals, essential supplies, meal kits, and whatever else they could offer to help restaurants and their staff to persevere in the pandemic. The first relief kitchen opened in Louisville on March 16th although the idea came from Chef Lee’s earlier reaction to the shutdowns. His restaurants in Louisville were forced to shutter temporarily, and he was forced to lay off his staff. The first thing he did was to start cooking. Knowing all of the food would go bad, Lee realized the best thing he could do is cook it all and feed his staff. While doing this, it dawned on him that this exact issue is about to affect every restaurant in the country. He decided that working to make his idea a national effort could positively impact many lives and restaurants. Using Chef Lee’s model, LEE and Maker’s Mark developed nineteen relief kitchens established across the country, feeding those in need over 300 meals a day, seven days a week
Eight months after the original relief kitchen opened, the LEE Initiative has developed a strong partnership with Maker’s Mark and has launched another incredible idea using their combined efforts. In a never before seen product release and partnership between the LEE Initiative, Maker’s Mark, and other industry partners, the renowned distillery is introducing the Maker’s Mark CommUNITY Batch. The CommUNITY Batch is a special release bourbon created with the efforts of the industry community, for the benefit of the industry. The release will support restaurant, beverage, and hospitality partners throughout the country. This unique batch of bourbon reflects the support and community building seen in the hospitality, food, and beverage industry over the last year. It is a single batch developed using the individual expressions of 37 of their special partners’ private selections. The bourbon combines the stave profiles of their private selection barrels and reflects the uniqueness of the community and partnerships developed between the LEE Initiative and Maker’s Mark. These special batch bottles will not be found on store shelves but can be “bought” by making a donation for tickets to various LEE Initiative events that will begin and have more details in December.
The end goal of this new initiative developed by the LEE Initiative and Maker’s Mark is to generate a trust that has the potential to help the LEE Initiative carry the food, beverage, and hospitality industry through future disasters. This is an incredible relationship that has the potential to craft a safety net for restaurants, beverage producers, and other industry establishments and protect them for years to come. This plan shows the resolve and ambition of the industry as they faced devastating outcomes because of the pandemic. In addition to the great cause, the LEE Initiative and Maker’s Mark have also developed a unique experience that anyone can take part in by donating to the LEE Initiative in the coming weeks and months.
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