Governor Hochul Announces 200,000 Meals Will Be Delivered to Communities in Need Through the Restaurant Resiliency Program During the Holiday Season

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced New York State’s Restaurant Resiliency Program will be delivering 200,000 meals to New Yorkers in need through the end of the holiday season. Restaurants involved in the program are in all regions of New York State and represent the diversity of the state, with many participating restaurants preparing Kosher and Halal meals and representing minority and women owned businesses.

“During the holiday season, no family in the state of New York should go hungry,” Governor Hochul said. “The Restaurant Resiliency Program takes an innovative approach to help New Yorkers facing food insecurity and restaurants struggling during the pandemic. Programs like these showcase the spirit of generosity and collaboration that is crucial to New York’s success.”

Through the program, the Department of Agriculture and Markets has received several hundred applications from restaurants to date, more than one third of which have come from minority and woman owned businesses. Of those, 215 restaurants have been approved including 34 restaurants that are preparing Kosher and Halal meals. Additionally, restaurants have been approved in the regions of each of New York’s 10 food banks, illustrating the statewide reach of the program.

Examples of approved Restaurant Resiliency Program meal plans include:

• Barcha, New York, New York: 1,400 meals distributed through FACES NY, Inc. and the Food Bank for New York City.
  • Meals include beef meatballs in marinara sauce, herbed rice, and mesclun spring mix salad; crispy chicken, garlic butter mashed potatoes, and kale salad with honey mustard dressing; vegan jibarito with colossal tostones, avocado, ripe tomatoes, organic spinach, olives, and artichokes; Mediterranean grilled chicken, herb rice, and julienne vegetables; crispy fish, creamy mashed potatoes, and spring mix salad; and a hearty quinoa bowl, organic spinach, chickpeas, carrots, and avocado.
  • All of the meals use New York sourced ingredients.

• Fireside Holdings, Monsey, New York: 7,000 Kosher meals to be distributed through Tomche Shabbos of Rockland County and the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York.
  • Meals include beef brisket with gravy, smashed Yukon potatoes, charred green beans, and fruit compote; and chicken breast, assorted mushrooms, brown rice with lentils and beans, and roasted pears.
  • New York sourced ingredients include onions, green beans, apples, mushrooms, pears, and chicken.

• Haskell’s Seafood Market and Café, Westhampton Beach, New York: over 500 meals to be distributed through New Direction Services, the Food Bank for New York City, and Long Island Cares.
  • Meals include porgy, beans, brown rice, and vegetables; tilefish curry with farro and vegetables; striped bass with quinoa, lentils, and vegetables; mango mahi-mahi with brown rice and vegetables; lemon pepper tuna with quinoa and vegetables; monkfish farro risotto with vegetables; seared sea scallops with quinoa and vegetables; and more.
  • New York sourced ingredients include tuna, monkfish, sea scallops, potatoes, parsley, kale, honey, porgy, tilefish, striped bass, thyme, spinach, and more.
• Serendipity, Ithaca, New York: 500 meals to be distributed through Enfield Food Pantry and the Food Bank of the Southern Tier.
  • Meals include: chicken with rice, bell pepper, onion, tomato, garlic, capers, rosemary, and thyme; chicken with rice, carrots, spinach, cream, sun-dried tomato, onion, garlic, and parmesan cheese; pulled pork with barbecue sauce, corn, and salt potatoes; and chicken sausage with couscous, onion, bell pepper, carrot, garbanzo bean, potato, squash, cauliflower, and tomato.
  • New York sourced ingredients include onions, garlic, cream, and potatoes.

The program is continuing to take applications from restaurants on a rolling basis and will continue to do so until all funds have been spent. Additional information and an application for the program can be found here.

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, "Our Restaurant Resiliency Program is off to a strong start, reaching New Yorkers in need across the state while providing a steady customer base for our restaurants to help them get through these continued challenging times. I encourage restaurants in all corners of our state to take action in their communities. Get involved with this great program, and give our farmers an extra boost by using New York grown ingredients.”

CEO of Hunger Free America Joel Berg said, “This is a great way to simultaneously feed Hungry New Yorkers and help struggling restaurants to stay in business. Combined with the Governor’s vital initiatives to make it easier for seniors and people with disabilities to obtain federal-funded SNAP benefits, this effort will help take a bite out of hunger this challenging holiday season.”

Executive Director of Feeding New York State Dan Egan said, “Governor Hochul's leadership with the Restaurant Resiliency Program has produced a truly innovative public policy. We in the food bank community have been able to create new partnerships with restaurants, and through these partnerships we are now providing thousands of very high-quality meals every week. New Yorkers who, through no fault of their own are food insecure, are able to enjoy these high-quality meals. Department of Agriculture and Markets staff have been crucial at every step of the way. The restaurant resiliency program works, and we are proud to be a part of it."

Melissa Fleischut, New York State Restaurant Association President and CEO, said, "The Restaurant Resiliency Program exemplifies the power in working together to overcome economic challenges with each meal delivered and every new restaurant that participates. These milestones are part of the momentum that New York restaurants need to support our recovery in a post-pandemic world. Thank you to Governor Hochul for spearheading the program to reach these milestones. We look forward to continuing to work with state officials to ensure sustained and long-lasting support for both the restaurant industry and all New Yorkers."

President of the New York State Latino Restaurant Bar and Lounge Association Jeffrey Garcia said, “We are thrilled to partner with Governor Hochul on this critical and innovative initiative that will bring hundreds of thousands of meals to New Yorkers during the holiday season while at the same time injecting much-needed capital into restaurants across the state, many of which are still struggling to survive.”

Executive Director of the Empire State Restaurant & Tavern Association Scott Wexler said, "We're excited to see the success the Restaurant Resiliency Program has had in the short time since its launch in providing nutritious meals to our fellow New Yorkers throughout the state. It offers a vital infusion of business for restaurants struggling with the economic challenges caused by the ongoing pandemic, and we strongly encourage restaurants across New York to join this effort.”

Executive Director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance Andrew Rigie said, “This responsive program connects struggling restaurants with families battling food insecurity, and is a timely and impactful resource to those that have been financially devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We applaud Governor Hochul and the legislature for their leadership in advancing this thoughtful program to bring comfort to New Yorkers this holiday season, while providing a boost to mom-and-pop restaurants across the state.”

The $25 million Restaurant Resiliency Program provides relief to the restaurant industry, which continues to face severe challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic. The program builds on the successful Nourish New York initiative, providing funding to New York's network of food banks and emergency food providers to purchase prepared meals from New York restaurants and deliver them to families in need.

The Restaurant Resiliency Program awards funding, which was passed as part of the 2021-22 New York State Budget, from the New York State Department of Health to New York's network of ten food banks across the State. Emergency food providers work directly with restaurants who are deemed eligible for the program by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. Restaurants create meals aligning with MyPlate.gov standards, are up to date with licensing requirements, and have passed all health inspections. Participating restaurants are encouraged to use New York ingredients where possible.