How to Help Detroit’s Restaurant and Bar Workers Through the Novel Coronavirus Crisis #DetroitFood

John S. Neely has organized a campaign to raise money for the Highlands’ bar staff. | Stock Detroit

A guide to GoFundMe campaigns, virtual tip jars, pay-it-forward campaigns supporting the local service industry

For more than a week, the nation has been in flux due to the novel coronavirus and many small businesses, including restaurants and bars, are stuck in limbo right now. Michigan’s bars and restaurants — like many others around the country — were ordered to close for dine-in service on Monday, March 16.

Although some establishments have retained skeleton crews and adopted delivery and carryout, a large proportion of the country’s service industry now finds itself unemployed. Many of these workers don’t have savings or access to healthcare. They may not have had the resources to purchase food in advance of quarantines. It is a precarious situation with no clear end date.

Some restaurants and individuals have launched crowdfunding campaigns, pay-it-forward dining options, and virtual tip accounts to help those in the service industry cope. Eater Detroit has rounded up some of them below, but please reach out at detroit@eater.com and we will update this guide. Eater National has also developed a list of relief funds.

Please note that while the fundraisers and Venmo accounts listed below have all been shared by the official social media pages or known representatives of their respective restaurants, Eater cannot guarantee that each restaurant will use the money as they say they will.

Fundraisers for Restaurant and Bar Staff

• Carbon Athletic Club: The Carbon Athletic Club is attempting to raise $6,000 to help employees manage through the duration of the closure (Monday, March 16 through Monday, March 30) and to help the club pay its bills. [More info]
• Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails: The Midtown area restaurant is raising money through Tock to distribute among staff. The cost is $20 per ticket and all proceeds go to employees after processing charges. [More info]
• Marble Bar: This Detroit nightclub was one of the earliest locations to close due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. The bar is trying to raise $15,000 to help provide relief to 15 employees who are going unpaid during the shutdown. [More info]
• Marrow: The restaurant and butcher shop in West Village is just a few hundred dollars away from meeting its $10,000 goal, which will go towards a staff stipend. Help push them over the edge. [More info]
• Standby and the Skip: The bar is providing meals and food options for staff “for as long as we possibly can” during the closure and will continue to pay health insurance for all those enrolled through the company until April 30. People can directly support employees by pre-purchasing an online cocktail book at the company’s website. [More info]
• Table No. 2: Livernois Avenue restaurant owner Omar Mitchell is accepting donations toward a $20,000 GoFundMe to help staff who had already struggled through construction in the corridor and are now laid off. [More info]
• Batch Brewing Company: The Corktown brewery has been forced to close and lay off all of its staff. People can pre-purchase beers for when the brewery reopens by donating $5 at a time; the money, minus taxes and fees will go to employees. Separate larger amounts will be considered a “tip” to service staff and 100 percent of the proceeds, minus fees from GoFundMe will go to workers. Batch asks that people who wish to buy beers and tip, place those to payments separately. [More info]
• York: The Ann Arbor store and beer garden is hosting an art auction called York Artaction. Any artist can contribute, but it will also be curated by some of the artists who work at York. Sixty percent of the proceeds will go to the artist and 40 percent will go to a pool for York staff. [More info]
• Imperial: Ferndale taqueria Imperial started a $15,000 GoFundMe. One hundred percent of the contributions go to support hourly employees. [More info]
• The Oakland: This trailblazing cocktail lounge in Ferndale launched a $4,000 GoFundMe to help support employees who are without work due to the bar’s closure. [More info]
• Mudgie’s Deli and Wine Shop: Mudgie’s has closed for the foreseeable future but the restaurant is still making an effort to take care of its employees who have been laid off by launching a $30,000 GoFundMe. [More info]
• Bobcat Bonnie’s: The employees at this local gastropub chain’s five locations are struggling and owner Matt Buskard is trying to raise $35,000 to support them. [More info]
• La Feria and Cata Vino: Elias Khalil of La Feria is keeping wine shop Cata Vino open for limited hours for retail wine sales and gift card sales (Call 313-285-9081). The restaurant’s $10,000 GoFundMe will go towards staff stipends. [More info]
• Bangkok 96 Street Food: This award-winning food stall has closed through April 5, and its 11 workers will be missing out on three weeks of pay. The money raised from this $10,000 GoFundMe will go directly to the restaurant’s staff. [More info]
• The Highlands Bar Team: Bartender John S. Neely is trying to raise $4,000 in emergency aid for the Highland’s bar team through a GoFundMe. [More info]
• PJ’s Lager House: The close-knit staff at PJ’s Lager House has been laid off and is trying to raise $5,000 as a stopgap measure for unemployed workers. [More info]
• Ready Player One: This arcade bar is holding a $10,000 GoFundMe campaign for staff. [More info]
• Warda Patisserie: Bakery of the Year, Warda Patisserie, is trying to raise $10,000 for staff through a GoFundMe campaign. One hundred percent of the proceeds go to employees. The restaurant is also selling egiftcards. [More info]
• Rose’s Fine Foods: Molly Mitchell, owner of Rose’s, is trying to raise $10,000 to cover staff payroll. [More info]
• Cantoro Trattoria in Plymouth: Nearly 50 trattoria employees were laid off this week and while employees are applying for benefits, they may not receive help for three to four weeks. This GoFundMe will be used as a stop-gap measure to support staff during the transition. [More info]
• Street Beet: This vegan comfort food restaurant is trying to raise $20,000 to help cover two weeks of payroll for employees who are now without income. [More info]
• Two James Distillery: The company has launched a $5,000 GoFundMe for bar staff and plans to continue selling bottles in the tasting room from noon to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Twenty percent of the bottle sales will go to the staff emergency fund. [More info]
• Central Kitchen + Bar: This downtown gastrobar is asking for $10,000 to help support employees through the duration of the restaurant closing. [More info]
• Detroit Fleat: The food truck park and bar Detroit Fleat is trying to raise $15,000 for hourly employees. [More info]
• Lady of the House: Chef Kate Williams has organized a $3,000 GoFundMe for employees. [More info]
• Folk: Owner Rohani Foulkes is asking for $5,000 through GoFundMe as a wellness fund for the hourly staff that were laid off as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic. [More info]
• Good Cakes & Bakes: Owner April Anderson is trying to raise $10,000 to help hourly staff at her Livernois Avenue bakery. [More info]
• Savant: Chef Jordan Whitmore has launched a $5,000 GoFundMe for staff at Savant. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to hourly and tipped workers as a supplement to their monthly paychecks. [More info]
• Brooklyn Street Local: Deveri Gifford and Kelly Talboys have organized a $4,000 GoFundMe. One hundred percent of the donations will be distributed to staff and there are several levels of gifts people will receive in exchange such as tote bags and gift cards. [More info]
• Trixie’s Bar: The bar is still open for delivery and employee wages are covered for three weeks but most staff rely on tips, that they’re not receiving. With that in mind Trixie’s is accepting donations through the Cash App and Paypal. Codes and detailed instructions are in the copy of the linked Instagram post. [More info]
• Pietrzyk Pierogi: Owner Erica Pietrzyk is trying to support restaurant workers who are food insecure by providing free pierogi through a pay-it-forward program. [More info]
• General Service Industry Fund: Chef Allie Lyttle has started a general service industry fund to help industry employees pay their bills. [More info]

• Michigan Governor Orders Statewide Closure of All Restaurants and Bars for Dine-in Service [ED]
• Detroit Bartenders Get Creative With Side Gigs During Coronavirus Slowdown [ED]
• A List of Relief Funds for Restaurants, Bars, and Food Service Workers [E]
• America’s Restaurants Are Closing. What’s Happening to the Food? [E]
• All Coronavirus Coverage [ED]

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