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A Man of The People
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May 7 2020, Published 8:52 p.m. ET
Washington, D.C.-based chef Geoff Tracy is turning lemons into lemonade. On March 16, the health crisis forced him to close his restaurants — which, unfortunately, also meant layoffs. “It was terrible. But we went to work, and we worked hard,” he shared.
Within a few days, Geoff had set up a GoFundMe for the employees who’d lost their jobs; reopened his eateries for takeout and delivery; and created what he calls “a neighborhood pantry” to sell gloves, produce, wine, toilet paper and more, with the profits going to the staff.
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“The neighbors were so thankful,” he said. “Each week, we hired more people because business was improving.” Things have continued to look up.
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“We began working with charity Feed the Fight and started providing meals for first responders and hospitals,” he explained, noting that he also received a loan that’s enabling him to pay his laid-off workers.“It feels like a miracle,” Geoff added. 'What comes after that, I don’t entirely know. But we’ll keep working hard.”
Learn more at chefgeoff.com
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