Foodservice lends fund-raising muscle to tsunami relief efforts: worst natural disaster in 30 years prompts unprecedented aid response

Nation's Restaurant News, Jan 17, 2005 by Jack Hayes

Working like armies of angels since the Dec. 26 tsunami tragedy, restaurateurs nationwide and abroad are showing the fund-raising heart of the industry to the people of Asia and Africa in the wake of the deadliest natural disaster in 30 years.

"From the level of industry response we're continuing to see, it's evident that American restaurants are as much a cornerstone for the global community as they are for their local neighborhoods," National Restaurant Association president Steven Anderson said of the charitable outreach.

Beyond that, MultiCultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance president Gerry Fernandez predicted the compassion of the industry for tsunami victims would have an impact far beyond its humanitarianism and would help rebuild bridges between the Judeo-Christian and Muslim cultures.

"What happened in that part of the world is beyond people's belief and imagination," said Fernandez, who e-mailed a tsunami "prayer" to industry leaders and others who have hospitality operations or accounts in the impacted region and travel there frequently.

The tsunami was triggered by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, which shook the floor of the Indian Ocean near the northwest coast of Sumatra, a major island in the Indonesian chain, the day after Christmas. Some 150,000 people in coastal regions of numerous countries were killed, and millions more survivors were left homeless and at risk of deadly diseases, international relief officials indicated.

"But I'm proud of and not surprised by the way I see the industry responding," Fernandez added. "We're the land of milk and honey, and we're rich in giving. It's an example of how tragedy becomes a bridge across cultural gaps."

Yet with few exceptions foodservice operators and suppliers, wary that boastful publicity could cast a shadow on their generosity, are avoiding discussions about their work to aid homeless and hungry refugees in southern Asia and eastern Africa.

An example is Yum Brands, the Louisville, Ky.-based parent of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long John Silver's and A&W Restaurants. It only reluctantly divulged that it was giving $1 million through the Yum Foundation to the International Red Cross and would match employee and franchisee donations to relief agencies totaling another $500,000.

"We're mainly proud of Yum's teammates who've pitched in around the globe to collect cash and clothing for those in need," said Yum's public affairs senior vice president, Jonathan Blum. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this disaster."

Anderson applauded the fundraising "creativity" being employed at every level in the industry--from single-store operators to state restaurant associations--to aid Indian Ocean disaster victims. An example he cited was Rock Bottom Restaurants' selling tsunami crosses for $1 each and donating all proceeds to the Red Cross.

"And the Illinois and New Mexico restaurant associations came up with statewide Desserts for Disaster fund-raising ideas," Anderson added. "Efforts like those generate contributions of all sizes, but no matter how large or small, everyone in the industry has been contributing in some way."

Early on, the Washington Restaurant Association invited its 4,500 members as well as non-members statewide to join a Jan. 22 Meals for Disaster Relief fundraiser for the American Red Cross.

"I'm proud to be part of an industry that is one of the most generous sectors of the business community," said Gene Vosberg, WRA president and chief executive. "In the same way we have helped those on our own soil cope with disaster, we've now joined to help our global community cope with the recent tsunami devastation."

Like the NRA and its state restaurant association affiliates as well as most large foodservice suppliers and restaurant chains, Yum Brands linked its Web site to agencies accepting donations for massive emergency relief and rebuilding efforts that will continue for an undetermined length of time.

The NRA posted links on its Web site to the American Red Cross and to the USA Freedom Corps sites, resulting in online links to more than 130 relief agencies aiding the tsunami disaster recovery.

Meanwhile, McDonald's Corp. also set up a fund to match individual tsunami disaster relief donations from franchisees, employees and suppliers, spokeswoman Anna Rozenich said.

"We have a longstanding relationship with the American Red Cross and will do whatever we can to offer support," Rozenich said.

McDonald's Indonesia immediately donated $10,000 for relief efforts, and Ronald McDonald House Charities gave $100,000 to the hardest-hit nations.

Of all 263 McDonald's restaurants in the battered coastal regions of Indonesia, Thailand, India and Sri Lanka, only one Thai location was damaged, and work began immediately to get that restaurant up and running, Rozenich said.

Word of damage to outposts of other multinational chains was spotty, with a Starbucks Coffee branch in a Thai resort being among the few cited in reports.

Almost immediately after news of the tsunami disaster reached U.S. operators, Seattle-based Starbucks Corp. said it was contributing $100,000 to relief programs. It also said it had pledged to donate $2 from each sale of certain whole-bean Asian coffees during January at all its company-owned branches in the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and Germany.