Michael Lennox, the founder of Atlanta’s Electric Hospitality group and founder of pandemic-driven industry nonprofit ATLFAMILYMEAL) hopes so, but he has his doubts.

“There was already so much work to be done prior to the dawn of Covid-19,” he says. “Short term, it is hard to be optimistic about the compensation and benefits getting better for restaurant workers. Many restaurants will see widespread pay reductions for salaried managers and loss of benefits as restaurants look everywhere for ways to cut costs.”

Telemundo Atlanta formó parte de uno de estos eventos, en el que también participaron la Asociación Latinoamericana, Atlanta Family Meal, el condado de Dekalb y Athena Farms. El evento se llevo a cabo en la localidad de la Asociación Latinoamericana y fueron mas de 400 familias las que fueron beneficiadas.

#ATLFAMILYMEAL, founded by Michael Lennox of Electric Hospitality (Golden Eagle, Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall, Muchacho), teamed up with several other Atlanta restaurants to prepare and deliver meals to the area’s unemployed hospitality workers and their families. Charitable initiatives like these — both large and small — are taking place throughout Atlanta’s restaurant industry. These efforts often rely on the generosity of diners to help restaurants continue funding the soup kitchen and meal service operations, some of which also deliver meals to healthcare workers assisting COVID-19 patients.

In the first edition of Extra Helping nearly a month ago we highlighted ATL Family Meal, which had already served around 6,000 meals to unemployed restaurant workers. Four weeks later, the numbers have ballooned at an eye-popping rate. Six kitchens now cook prepared meals to support out-of-work employees from more than 200 restaurants. The organization has delivered more than 15,000 meals across a delivery network spanning almost 7,000 miles.

#ATLFamilyMeal: This nonprofit was created to feed, nurture and support hospitality workers and their families who are affected by the pandemic. atlfamilymeal.org

Michael Lennox, owner of Atlanta restaurants Ladybird, Golden Eagle and Muchacho, has been similarly busy with the organization he helped found to feed hospitality workers, ATL Family Meal. Since the governor’s announcement, he said, he’s gotten calls from furloughed employees fearful about the prospect of returning to work.

Lennox said he has been trying to navigate as best he can: He got loan money through the Paycheck Protection Program and is looking at opening a takeout and delivery service in coming weeks. But the thought of trying to go back to business as usual — even with the addition of masks and other safety measures — seemed far-fetched to him, for now. “Until we have an assessment about how everyone can provide a restaurant experience in a way that consistently provides for the safety of workers and customers, I don’t know that we have a clear pathway to even limited capacity,” he said.

#ATLFAMILYMEAL was created as a way to engage and empower the Atlanta hospitality community to put their heads together and get as many people fed as possible,” Lennox said.

Within its first week of launching, #ATLFAMILYMEAL delivered 2,000 free meals and is now on its way to delivering more than 100,000 meals each week.

Chefs are working in centralized kitchens at Ladybird and Eugene Kitchen where they prepare and package meals.

The non-profit has received generous donations from suppliers like US Foods to enable chefs to prepare quality comfort foods like chili, collard greens, grits and sweet potato souffle.

“We’re a united team of hospitality workers serving hospitality workers and have the extraordinary opportunity to serve the thousands of unemployed who once served us," Lennox said.

#ATLFAMILYMEAL volunteers deliver meals twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Currently, restaurant owners are encouraged to sign-up on the nonprofit's website with information about their need including current and recently laid-off employees.

But Lennox said he wants to expand.

"At some point in the future, we will be opening this up directly to hospitality workers in the community. In the meantime, we encourage hospitality workers in the community to reach out to their employer to encourage them to participate in #ATLFAMILYMEAL," he said.

Restaurant and hospitality business owners can sign-up at: atlfamilymeal.org

Donations are also being accepted at the #ATLFAMILYMEAL website.