On March 12, Chowgirls Killer Catering in Minneapolis had been planning to celebrate its 16th anniversary with a party for more than 400 guests. Instead—as the COVID-19 crisis sent shockwaves through the country—the company canceled the celebration and soon began turning its entire operation over to feeding the hungry.
2020 wasn’t supposed to be this way. The COVID-19 crisis and the resulting devastation in the industry have waylaid all the plans catering companies may have had for the year. Yet even while they’ve had to make tough, emotional decisions, caterers are responding to the times with characteristic grit and optimism.
Think your catering business is immune from identity theft? So did Banquets Unlimited in North Huntingdon, Pa. Then an employee stole more than $8,000.
Many Americans have responded to the COVID-19 crisis by helping their neighbors in need. America’s Food Fund—a GoFundMe campaign led by Leonardo DiCaprio and Laurene Powell Jobs, benefiting Feeding America and World Central Kitchen—has raised nearly $14 million as of April 17. Jeff Bezos contributed $100 million to Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund. Yet Feeding America—the largest hunger relief organization in the U.S.—continues to see demand for its food banks rise as a result of the crisis.
