The COVID-19 pandemic has touched basically every facet of our lives, and the food and hospitality industries were among the hardest hit. When the pandemic began shuttering restaurants back in March, celebrity chef Guy Fieri sprang into action to help raise money for affected workers. In addition to the massive amounts of funds he's raised, he'll also be putting faces to the issue with a new documentary.
Guy was highlighted as part of the Bloomberg 50 over the weekend. The publication noted that he executive produced a documentary called Restaurant Hustle 2020: All On The Line, which is focused on the challenges the restaurant industry has faced and will continue to face during the pandemic. He also directed the film alongside Frank Matson.
The doc will follow the experiences of restaurants owned by well-known chefs Antonia Lofaso, Marcus Samuelsson, Maneet Chauhan, and Christian Petroni, as they navigate things like shutting down their restaurants, issuing lay-offs, and finding ways to serve food again safely. It originally aired during the virtual DOC NYC film festival, but it will also air on the Food Network on December 27 at 9 p.m. ET.
“I’ve traveled coast to coast visiting thousands of restaurants across the country on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and after all the time on the road, it’s clear that restaurants are the heart and soul of their communities,” Guy told the network: “When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the impact on the restaurant industry was immediate. Restaurant Hustle 2020: All On The Line provides a real and intimate first-hand look into the lives of four top restaurateurs navigate through it all.”
Bloomberg also highlighted the fact that Guy helped to raised $21.5 million for restaurant workers in need this year. In just seven weeks, he rallied interest and made personal pleas to companies like TikTok and PepsiCo to make donations to the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's Restaurant Employee Relief Fund. As the number re-circulated, many people again praised Guy for his massive efforts.
Leaders in the restaurant industry have been vocal about the dire effects the pandemic has had and will continue to have on their businesses. Just today, the National Restaurant Association sent a letter to Congressional leadership, highlighting finds that say that more than 500,000 restaurants are in an "economic free fall." They also estimated that 17 percent of restaurants are closed permanently or long-term. They issued support for Congress's moderate compromise COVID-19 relief proposal as what they called a "'down payment' toward a larger relief package in early 2021."
