Celebrity restauranteur Guy Fieri proved that he is a nice guy after revealing the amount that he managed to raise for restaurant staff members who were laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Everyone knows the challenges of working in the hospitality field. This industry requires plenty of resilience and hard work to reap the rewards and earn money.
Some people decided to wait on tables or work behind a bar for a part-time job or to add more funds for their expenses. But for many people, working in the hospitality industry is a full-time profession, and their only means to put food on the table.
However, it is common knowledge that restaurant employees in the US are not paid well. Some are even working for as little as $2 per hour. It is an extremely sad reality for most people in this industry, especially those who are raising their families.
Most of these people rely on tips from their customers to compensate for the extremely low paychecks. However, things got worse when the pandemic happened.
This situation prompted Fieri to raise money for the people in this industry who lost their jobs. He even managed to raise a jaw-dropping amount.
Fieri is recognized as one of the most popular chefs and TV host in the US, but his recent endeavor might make your heart melt.
The Food Network celebrity chef has a large following, and the food that he serves is only a fraction of the reason why he is very popular.
He is not only funny on TV but in real life as well. He is also one of the celebrities who decided to act and do something to the community when the pandemic hit the US.
The “Mayor of Flavortown” owns several restaurants in the country, including the Chicken Guy!, Pig & Anchor, and Guy’s Bar-B-Que Joint. But he is more popular for hosting “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” and “Guy’s Grocery Games” at the Food Network.
In an interview with TMZ in May, he explained why he decided to help the people in need. He said that he was very concerned about his “brothers and sisters” who belong to the restaurant business, which is why he opted to work with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.
The collaboration resulted in the establishment of the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund (RERF). It is meant for restaurant staff members who are earning less than $50,000 annually.
When the people heard about it, many of them went on social media to show their appreciation for the chef.
Fieri also mentioned that he sent videos to established CEOs of major brands in the country like Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and UberEats, to ask for donations. Because of it, he was able to raise over $21.5 million in seven weeks.
It means that he can provide $500 to over 43,000 restaurant employees who are currently unemployed due to the pandemic. It makes more people appreciate the 52-year-old celebrity chef even more.
The RERF is currently being handed out to qualified recipients all over the country.
