Louisville-based chef Edward Lee is the kind of person who sees a community in crisis and doesn't think twice—he steps in and figures out a way to keep people fed. When the government furloughed workers, he rallied the people around him to make meals for those who were suddenly without a paycheck. Through his charity, The LEE Initiative, he's set up mentorship and education programs for women and young people interested in the culinary arts. Now with the coronavirus pandemic shuttering restaurants across the country, with the help of Maker's Mark, Lee quickly pivoted to turn his restaurant 610 Magnolia—and restaurants across the country—into relief centers for laid-off hospitality workers. Running on very little sleep, Lee spoke with Food & Wine senior editor Kat Kinsman about what that looks like on the ground, and his hope for the future of restaurants.
Save Local Restaurants Affected by COVID: https://www.saverestaurants.co/
The Lee Initiative: https://leeinitiative.org/
The F&W Pro Guide to Coronavirus: What Restaurants Should Know: https://www.foodandwine.com/news/coronavirus-restaurant-guide-fwpro
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