Minnesota Central Kitchen
Minnesota Central Kitchen brings together restaurants, caterers and hunger-fighting organizations to address food insecurity and job losses brought on by the coronavirus. Empowering our state’s hospitality professionals to keep working at what they do best—feeding hungry people—despite restaurant closures, the initiative also responds to the growing need for food assistance in the state.
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The effort is led by Second Harvest Heartland, core partners Chowgirls Catering and Loaves & Fishes, hard-working production kitchens and a growing coalition of restaurants, food service providers and supporters. Production kitchens are Appetite for Change, Chowgirls, Compass/Eurest and Sodexo and Surly Brewing Co. Support comes from The Cargill Foundation, General Mills Foundation, The Good Acre and UnitedHealth Group. Powered by partner kitchens, employees and culinary expertise, Minnesota Central Kitchen will prepare and distribute more than 10,000 packaged meals per day for hungry Minnesotans. Prepared meals are being distributed at more than 50 sites including Loaves and Fishes partners, Appetite for Change partners, Sanneh Foundation and Catholic Charities in St. Cloud.
- Commercial kitchens with food to donate can submit information via MealConnect
- Non-food items – like cleaning supplies, gloves and thermometers to regularly check kitchen staff’s temperatures – can be coordinated by emailing donation@chowgirls.net.
A sampling of recent media stories about Minnesota Central Kitchen
- 4/10/2020 Minnesota Central Kitchen gives restaurant workers jobs while feeding those who are hungry
- 3/19/2020 Minnesota's Central Kitchen forms to provide meals for those in need
- 3/19/2020 Minnesota Central Kitchen: Twin Cities Live
- 3/18/2020 5 Eyewitness News teams up with Minnesota Central Kitchen
- 3/18/2020 Minnesota restaurants are closed, but their cooks are still feeding those in need
- 3/18/2020 Minnesota’s Central Kitchen: Chefs, Second Harvest Heartland collab to combat hunger
Contact Elizabeth Cooper, Director of Brand Strategy and Communications
ecooper@2harvest.org
Direct: 651-209-7913
Mobile: 612-963-6791
“In this time of uncertainty, the basic human need of being fed has come to the forefront of this crisis. Chowgirls is honored to partner with Second Harvest Heartland to turn our space into Minnesota Central Kitchen. We will be reaching out to our food and hospitality industry friends to help us donate food, volunteers to help prepare meals and use their talents to feed our community. I have been amazed with the outpour of support already and feel privileged to be a part of this amazing effort.”
— Liz Mullen, Executive Chef, Chowgirls Killer Catering
