886: How One Restaurant United a Community Amidst a Global Pandemic
During these crazy times, we can all use some uplifting stories that brighten our day.
When New York City ordered its restaurants to close their dine-in options as a way to implement the social distancing measures that would help flatten the COVID-19 curve, many restaurants ended up closing altogether. Between the loss of income, the high fees delivery services were charging, and the razor-thin margins of the restaurant industry, it didn’t make much sense for them to stay open. Unfortunately, this also meant that these restaurants had to lay off their staff—everybody from chefs and cooks to dishwashers.
Faced with this daunting prospect, Chef Eric Sze and Andy Chuang of 886, a Taiwanese comfort food restaurant decided to pivot to carry-out service to raise some money to pay their staff. They decided upon selling carry-out bento boxes.
However, something special happened, one of their customers, Patricia Ni, helped bring 70 meals for the Cornell Weill Hospital's COVID-19 first responders. As word spread, more and more people started donating their meals to help other healthcare workers. Another customer even lent 886 his car to help with deliveries!
Suddenly, 886 went from making 50 bentos a day to 150 daily. They’re now helping 8 hospitals on a rotating basis. And because the outpouring of support far exceeded what 886 had expected, they started recruiting other restaurants to help make bento boxes (and pay their staff as well). Ho Foods and Raku, two popular nearby restaurants, recently started working with 886! And on April 13, 886 proudly shared that over 1,100 customers donated more than 4,425 bento boxes, raising $90,000 in donations along the way. Even though they opened 886 “to show the best side of Taiwanese culture,” this whole experience “allowed [them] to show the best side of humanity.”
Many restaurants are now donating food to healthcare workers, but when 886 first started doing it, it wasn’t yet quite a thing. This initiative may have started organically, but everybody involved has been quite inspired by how these bento boxes brought together the whole community. They recently wrote that “each donations shows that love and compassion can create a movement” which in turn will influence lives.
If you’d like to contribute to 886’s efforts in helping both hospitality and healthcare workers, head on over to their Instagram to learn more. Alternatively, look for organizations helping healthcare and/or hospitality workers in your city and neighborhoods. Frontline Foods is one place to start. Or perhaps organize your own! Now is the time to help one another out.