Chef Brian Roland of Crave Culinaire Catering & Events is participating in a new, nationwide initiative called Frontline Foods, whose dual goal is to support restaurants that have been impacted by shelter-in-place measures and feed healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, with funding provided by donations from local communities.
Crave Culinaire Catering & Events will create and deliver 120 meals on Friday, May 1, at 12 noon to Gulf Coast Medical Center’s Portico, 13681 Doctors Way, Fort Myers, FL 33912. (See below for directions.) A welcoming ceremony includes Chef Brian Roland; Jennifer Blue, nursing director of the stroke unit at Gulf Coast Medical Center, and Frontline Foods’ hospital liaison Christin Collins.
Chef Brian Roland and his team are preparing chicken Waldorf on croissants, caprese wraps, superfoods salads for maximum energy, grilled bourbon chicken, and pan-seared salmon.
Frontline Foods’ Southwest Florida chapter in Ft. Myers was established two weeks ago by Christin Collins, joining more than 50 chapters nationwide in a “massive outreach funded by the general public through donations via FrontlineFoods.org, which is connecting restaurants, healthcare workers and donors.” according to Ryan Sarver a co-founding organizer of the grassroots organization. Within weeks, chapters sprung up from coast to coast. To-date, more than 700 local restaurants throughout the country have provided more than 275,000 meals to healthcare workers.
One hundred percent of the tax-deductible donations support local restaurants through the donations on FrontlineFoods.org. The organization has partnered with World Central Kitchen (WCK), a tax-exempt, registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization led by chef José Andrés.
“Frontline Foods underscores what our community is all about – being there, showing up, for one another with support and help,” noted Christin Collins, hospital liaison of Frontline Foods SWFL.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to continue to feed those in need. Being selected by Frontline Foods to lead the way in this mission is truly an honor. Jose Andres of World Central Kitchen has been an inspiration for me my entire career and our team will continue to follow in their footsteps as we all help each other get through this difficult time in our lives,” said Chef Brian Roland.
Sarver’s parents are Cape Coral residents and he has a personal interest in Gulf Coast Medical Center. His mother is a recent, successfully treated patient of the Center. As an expression of gratitude, Sarver has sponsored the donation of meals from Crave Culinaire.
Restaurants who wish to participate in the program can sign-up through FrontlineFoods.org. “For restaurants this is a great way to generate revenue to possibly hire back staff members who were furloughed or laid off,” commented Sarver.
About Crave Culinaire
Crave Culinaire is part of Crave Companies, the umbrella company for a collection of five-star culinary brands created by Chef Brian & Nicole Roland. These include, in addition to Crave Culinaire, Venue Naples, Crave2Go, Crave Event Staffing, Zest at Valencia Bonita, and Crave Management Group. Crave was founded by Chef Brian Roland, owner and executive chef. Chef Brian and his team specialize in creating an exclusive culinary experience through in-home dining, private and public events, cooking classes, customized catering, food and wine pairings, and showcasing immaculate culinary delights. Crave Culinaire is driven by their passion for food and focuses on incorporating fresh and local ingredients. Crave Culinaire is also paired with the fully customizable space of Venue Naples. Venue Naples is a multi-use event space and art gallery incorporating fine dining and exquisite service.
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Directions:
Cape Coral: Route 30, then Route 50.
North Fort Myers: Route 140, then Route 80.
Fort Myers: Route 140, then Route 80 or Route 50
Fort Myers Beach: Route 400, then Route 50
Estero: Route 240, then Route 80.
