NEW YORK CITY—As the city's restaurants take tentative steps to reopen according to city and state guidance, some are poised to receive a little help from a new initiative aimed at this retail category.

Brookfield Properties has unveiled a new $1 million partnership with Union Square Hospitality Group and Rethink to help reactivate New York City restaurants as well as provide more than 125,000 meals to food-insecure families of the South Bronx. USHG will launch the partnership with Marta, Intersect by Lexus, and Union Square Events, while also developing a mentorship program for smaller restaurants that participate. Restaurants are invited to apply to be part of the program through Rethink, which is providing program participants with up to $40,000 to stay open during the COVID-19 outbreak. Rethink is a nonprofit that has turned restaurants into commissaries during COVID-19 and has provided 1,000,000 meals for New Yorkers.

"The COVID-19 crisis has intensified New York City's need for emergency food assistance and devastated its restaurant industry. This new program is designed to help address both of these emergencies by reactivating local kitchens, helping them learn to navigate socially-distanced operations, and providing meals for vulnerable New Yorkers in need during the pandemic," said Brookfield Property Group Managing Partner Ben Brown. Brown explained that Danny Meyer and Union Square Hospitality Group provided the program's initial locations, while Rethink is administering the program. Brookfield provided $1 million in seed financing for the initiative.

As additional independent restaurants are added to the program, USHG will share best practices and offer guidance around topics such as safety protocol, training materials, menu development, purchasing, and operations. All participating restaurants will make a long-term commitment to Rethink to provide meals for those in need beyond the initial partnership.

Union Square Hospitality Group is the latest restaurant group to join Rethink's efforts to feed those in need in NYC. On April 1, Rethink turned Eleven Madison Park into a commissary kitchen along with other restaurants like Crown Shy in the Financial District, La Morada in the Bronx, Little Tongs in East Village, Katie O's in Crown Heights and more. Rethink is set to expand in San Francisco, Chicago, Nashville and New Orleans in early July.

Instant Insights /

Brookfield Funds Initiative to Reactivate New York City Restaurants

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