Big Star Transforms Into Restaurant Workers Relief HQ

In partnership with the @LEEInitiative and @chefedwardlee (610 Magnolia, The Mind of a Chef), One Off Hospitality (Big Star, The Publican, avec, The Violet Hour) and Chef-Partner Paul Kahan have announced that beginning on March 24, Big Star Wicker Park will transform into an ongoing headquarters for restaurant workers relief. With the help of @makersmark, the One Off team will prepare and pack hundreds of to-go dinners & grocery bags each night that will be offered to recently unemployed restaurant workers who are in dire need of food and supplies.

Dinners will be offered on a first-come/first-serve basis, limiting one per person with strict social distancing guidelines in place for pick-up. In addition to meals, Big Star will also have groceries on hand for those in need including: non-perishable canned foods, a selection of proteins, vegetables and additional staples, while supplies last. As with the meals, there will be a limit of one pre-packed grocery bag per person.

“The spread of Covid-19 has been disastrous for the restaurant community and so many of the hard working employees who are now unable to collect a paycheck,” says Kahan. “We’re so thankful for Maker’s Mark and Chef Edward Lee of The LEE Initiative for stepping up to provide for these workers, who are truly the backbone of the hospitality industry. Alongside my partners and team, we’re grateful that we’re able to use Big Star as a place to support these tremendous charitable efforts, and think it’s remarkable to see how our industry continues to band together in a time of great need.”