Hi Everyone. We have a bit of a departure from our usual format this week. These are unprecedented times and we felt like we had something important to discuss.I’m sure you all know what this is about before you even listen to it. On Monday the NYC restaurant industry essentially shutdown. Restaurants can deliver food and alcohol but no one can dine in them, and suddenly, thousands of hardworking people are out of jobs. We sat down and interviewed two friends and restaurant professionals who are doing their part to help.Andrea Strong (@strongbuzz ), a good friend of the podcast, is a food and food policy writer. She took some time to speak to us about different philanthropic organizations that are helping, and what options are currently out there for displaced restaurant employeesAndrea’s latest Food and Wine article has become THE list of companies that are offering help. The article is constantly being updated with more philanthropic efforts as things continue. You can check it out hereVincent Vee (expressdiscard.com), is another friend and former guest of the pod. Vince is a bar consultant and restaurant veteran, and he talked to us about his Food and Beverage Solidarity Facebook Group, and what he has experienced these last few daysHis Facebook group ‘Food and Beverage Solidarity‘ is here Lastly, we apologize for the audio quality of this episode. I think the term “fast is better than great” describes it well. We conducted all of these interviews remotely, using a cobbled-together system. Please cut us some slack on the audio levels, background noise, buzzing, and dog barking in the background. Stay safe, be well, and be good to one another. Tom & Mike