Great news!
We are partnering with non-profit organization ROAR (Restaurants Organizing, Advocating & Rebuilding), a New York City based group founded at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic by a group of industry professionals impassioned to fight for unemployed restaurant workers facing financial hardship and to advocate for an industry in crisis.
“This partnership makes so much sense and feels like the perfect fit. It’s mutually beneficial not only for Seek and ROAR, but for the local business community that we aim to support. We are beyond happy to have connected with the great people of ROAR and love what they are doing for the NYC hospitality industry. They represent all of the people who treat us like family when we walk through the door of our local bar or restaurant – they have served us, now it’s our turn to return the favor and help revitalize the industry after Covid.”
Shanna Liu, Seek CEO and Co-founder
ROAR was founded with one fundamental goal in mind — to take care of each other. As hospitality professionals, this has always been their mantra, and since the pandemic they have lived these words every day.
In its first year, ROAR raised over $3 million distributed in over 6500 direct cash grants to restaurant workers, founded the first ever mobile vaccine bus, which has to date vaccinated over 50,000 New Yorkers in communities hardest hit by COVID, and advocated for pandemic-related industry-wide legislation, including to-go alcohol sales, extended outdoor dining, the Payroll Protection Plan, and the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.
ROAR is now advocating for a transformative legislative labor agenda called The Restaurant Equity Project, which will ensure worker equity through tip sharing between front and back of the house and secure a more supported and sustainable future for independent New York City restaurants with tax incentives and subsidies. They’re also fundraising for a groundbreaking Restaurant Health and Wellness Project that will provide a holistic suite of free or deeply discounted physical, mental and financial health services to support New York City’s amazing community of restaurant workers.
“We are thrilled to partner with Seek and join them at the start of their journey here in NYC,” said ROAR Executive Director, Andrea Strong. “ROAR appreciates the support from Seek and we are very excited to see the great connections that develop in the community, emanating from this new and innovative mobile app. Seek allows in-the-know New Yorkers to shout out their favorite local businesses and we can’t wait to see the good it will do for our hospitality friends.”
ROARThis Non-Profit restaurant industry organization perfectly suits Seek’s objective to offer local recommendations. Seek is launching soon in New York and will then expand to the rest of the United States, then globally.
