Celebrity Chef Andrew Zimmern Teams Up with Morgan Freeman for Restaurant Relief Campaign

Celebrity Chef Andrew Zimmern Teams Up with Morgan Freeman for Restaurant Relief Campaign

If passed by Congress, the Restaurants Act would establish a $120 billion fund to help independent restaurants

Andrew Zimmern and Morgan Freeman

Andrew Zimmern and Morgan Freeman are coming together in support of the restaurant industry, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

The celebrity chef’s television and digital production company Intuitive Content and the Independent Restaurant Coalition have released a new ad, narrated by the Academy Award-winning actor, to urge for Congress to pass the Restaurants Act — which would establish a $120 billion fund to help independent restaurants.

“Neighborhood restaurants are the lifeblood of our communities,” Freeman says in the commercial. “They are where we come together and make life-long memories — and right now they are facing extinction.”

“The COVID-19 crisis threatens to permanently close 85 percent of independent restaurants. 16 million people risk losing their jobs, disproportionately affecting people of color and single mothers,” he adds. “One in four people who lost their jobs during the pandemic were restaurant workers. Without your help, our favorite places to eat will be gone — forever.”

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Introduced by Rebpulican Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer, the legislation, which has bipartisan support, would supply grants to independent restaurants, which can be used for payroll, rent, PPE, and other coasts, according to The Hill.

“When our restaurants are hurting, it means the economy is hurting,” Blumenauer told reporters in June, according to the outlet. He also noted that revenue for independent restaurants was over 50 percent lower than compared to the previous year.