Meet the People Behind the Plate

Restaurants have faced unprecedented challenges. The devastating impact of the pandemic, labor shortages, rising costs, and supply chain delays have pushed them to the brink. Many have struggled, but ultimately succeeded to keep their employees on payroll and their customers fed.

From supporting deployed troops, to providing free Thanksgiving meals to those in need, to serving meals to exhausted frontline workers during the pandemic, these stories serve as a snapshot of what restaurants are doing around the country to help others.

We invite you to meet The People Behind the Plate. Hear first-hand how restaurants have addressed these challenges and continue to make a difference in their communities. 


Meet Daniel Nguyen & Katherine Lam of Bambuza Vietnam Kitchen.

Finding Tangible Ways to Serve

Katherine Lam and Daniel Nguyen, owners of Bambuza Vietnam Kitchen in Portland, Oregon, were looking for tangible ways to serve as COVID played out in Oregon. They found a way to help by making meals for frontline workers at local hospitals who were lacking nourishment and needed a meal.



Someone Rooting for You at Home

Kelsey Yoho, Grants Pass, Oregon, knows what it means to miss home. During her 10 years as a military intelligence officer, she did 2 tours to Afghanistan. Today, she is one of the owners of the Weekend Beer Company and continues to show her support for our service members by sponsoring a deployed member of the Oregon National Guard.

Hear Kelsey talk about the importance of supporting our troops. Share her story and order a beer at the Weekend Beer Company to honor the #PeopleBehindThePlate.




Meet Kelsey Yoho of Weekend Beer Company.


Meet Chef Petro Drakopoulos of Republica.

Serving Over 3,000 Meals to Frontline Workers

Chef Petro Drakopoulos, Brooklyn, Michigan, describes how his team at Republica “put their hands into it” to serve more than 3,000 frontline workers in metropolitan Detroit. This action led to more and more opportunities to get food out to others. Share and say “Thank You” to Chef Petro and his team of #PeopleBehindThePlate for setting off a chain-reaction of doing good.