For alumna Heather De La Torre and her husband Jesus, owners of Jr\u2019s Gourmet Burgers in Miami Springs, business is a family affair. The \u201cmom-and-pop\u201d restaurant celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year, and the couple thinks of their small, close-knit staff as kin.<\/p>\n
But, like many restaurants nationwide, the COVID-19 pandemic dealt Jr\u2019s a tough blow.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur business is about 90 percent eat-in, in the dining room, so this whole thing has affected us a lot. We\u2019ve lost a lot of business,\u201d said Heather, who is also a special education teacher and a two-time graduate of the School of Education and Human Development.<\/p>\n
When the pandemic struck, the De La Torres had to make a\u00a0difficult\u00a0decision: They closed\u00a0Jr\u2019s for two weeks to prepare to accommodate the dining restrictions put in place by the state and county to quell the spread of COVID-19.<\/p>\n
But thanks to a grant from the SOBEWFF\u00ae\u00a0& Chaplin School Hospitality Industry Relief Fund, the De La Torres were able to pay their employees throughout the closure, for which, Heather says, they are truly grateful.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were ecstatic to be able to keep providing for our employees. When you have a business and you employ people, you feel a sense of responsibility for their livelihoods. It\u2019s not just us trying to keep the business open \u2013 these people are depending on us,\u201d Heather said.<\/p>\n
In March, the FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management teamed up with the Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival to establish the relief fund, which helps pay employees at independently owned restaurants and bars struggling as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is supported by contributions from the Festival, the Chaplin School,\u00a0and now, many members of the community, as well.<\/p>\n
Their collective efforts have raised more than $1.6 million and helped more than 500 restaurants and bars in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.<\/p>\n
Among the first to answer FIU and\u00a0the Festival\u2019s call to aid the suffering industry were longtime FIU supporters Badia Spices and Bacardi North America.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an honor for us at Badia Spices to contribute to our brothers and sisters in the restaurant community. We know how hard it is to start a business, the long hours and sacrifices one must make. Wishing you all a new beginning very soon. We are with you,\u201d said the Badia Spices President Pepe Badia.<\/p>\n
Bacardi North America President Pete Carr said the company is \u201cproud to support FIU\u2019s efforts to give back to the hospitality industry and hope that this fund offers the financial relief and resources needed to help our local restaurants and bars reopen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carr added, \u201cAs a family-owned business for more than 158 years, giving back to our local communities has been part of the Bacardi story since inception. For us, love for our brands was built in the bars, and so now, it\u2019s our turn to show bar teams some much-needed love as they navigate this crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n
Likewise, William D. Talbert III, CDME, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, said his organization is proud to give back to the community in this way.<\/p>\n
\u201c[This fund] is providing critically needed financial relief to the hospitality industry, the economic backbone of our tourism economy, which has been hit particularly hard during this unprecedented time,\u201d\u00a0Talbert said.\u00a0\u201cThe FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management is an integral part of our community, providing invaluable educational opportunities and a continuous pipeline of talent directly to our hospitality industry. And as one of our most iconic annual events, the SOBEWFF\u00ae celebrates Miami\u2019s standing as true culinary destination. The partnership between the event and the program is synergistic and exemplifies what truly makes Miami shine.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to Heather\u2019s being an FIU alumna, Jr\u2019s is a regular at the Festival. The restaurant even won the Festival\u2019s Heineken Light Burger Bash presented by Schweid and Sons in 2017. So to have two organizations that mean so much to the couple lend a hand in their time of need was serendipitous.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like both of our worlds collided. It was a twist of fate that FIU and the Festival were able to come together and help us provide for our families. It made me proud to be an FIU alum, and proud that we participate in the Festival every year,\u201d Heather said.<\/p>\n
Organizations and\u00a0individuals alike are stepping up in significant ways.\u00a0Philanthropist and mother of three Arlene Chaplin believes in the value of enjoying a meal with family. It\u2019s why she, too, pledged support for the Hospitality Industry Relief Fund.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe in the experience of dining out, and the importance of interacting with family and friends in these social settings gives us so much enjoyment and great memories, too.\u00a0I wanted to support our community and the hospitality industry, who have been so affected by COVID-19,\u201d Chaplin said.<\/p>\n
\u201c[I] hope that we can, and will, make great memories together safely in the very near future,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n