With the exception of a short-lived delivery option, legendary restaurant Musso & Frank Grill has remained closed since the onset of the pandemic. Now, a line of merch and a GoFundMe seek to fund health insurance and living expenses for the Hollywood institution’s long-time employees.
Musso & Frank has 84 furloughed employees, many of whom have been with the restaurant for years. Musso CFO/COO Mark Echeverria recently announced a Musso & Frank Employee Relief Fund to raise money for those employees. Half of the money raised will cover ongoing employee healthcare coverage, which Musso’s owners have been paying since March, while the other half will go towards living expenses. So far, the GoFundMe has raised over $15,000.
Another way to donate is to buy Musso & Frank merchandise, which includes face masks, gift cards for when the restaurant reopens, a book on the restaurant’s first 100 years of business, and more. A quarter of sales will go to the relief fund.
While many of us have still gone to work or have been able to work from home, restaurant and hospitality workers have it rough right now. In addition to Musso’s relief fund, there are a few other ways you can help out local restaurants right now:
- Order delivery or takeout from your favorite restaurants and cafes
- Buy holidays gifts from local restaurants, cafes, or bars
- See if your favorite bar is offering cocktails, wine, or beer to-go
- Check out Little Tokyo’s Community Feeding Community program, which pays small local restaurants to feed out-of-work hospitality workers
- Find more ideas here
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