Chinatown restaurants offer free meals for front-line workers

Free meals and bubble tea provided by members of U.S.-China Restaurant Alliance were delivered to the University of Chicago Medical Center April 17. /Photo courtesy of U.S.-China Restaurant Alliance

Lao Sze Chuan staff delivered lunch to Advocate Outpatient Center in Lakeview April 27. /Photo courtesy of U.S.-China Restaurant Alliance

Owner and staff of Lao Sze Chuan prepared lunch boxes for front-line workers.

Free meals were delivered to Mercy Hospital April 14. /Photo courtesy of U.S.-China Restaurant Alliance

Police officers get their free lunch in a restaurant in Chinatown. /Photo courtesy of U.S.-China Restaurant Alliance

Hot food was delivered to medical workers at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County. /Photo courtesy of U.S.-China Restaurant Alliance

Nurses of Cook County Hospital sent a Thank-you letter to the restaurant. /Photo courtesy of U.S.-China Restaurant Alliance

	By Carolyn Chen, Arts & Culture Editor, The Real Chi

More than 10 Chinese restaurants in Chicago that have provided free meals for medical workers, police, firefighters, as well as media working on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic will temporarily bring the act of generosity to an end on April 30. 

The restaurants have delivered more than 5,000 boxes of meals since March to Mercy Hospital, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the 9th District Chicago Police Department station, among other locales. They also welcome any front-line worker who stops in and asks for food.

This initiative was led by the U.S.-China Restaurant Alliance, a consortium of Chinese restaurants around the country. Since a few restaurants in Chicago first began to provide free meals on March 28, more than 100 Chinese restaurants in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and other places have been involved.

When Tony Hu, the chairman of the U.S.-China Restaurant Alliance, first started to donate meals from his own restaurant, Lao Sze Chuan, in mid-March, he did not try to engage other restaurants. 

“I know it is difficult for them,” said Hu. 

Most restaurants have been in dire situations, with shortage of staff and inflated prices of supplies, said Hu.

But when the coronavirus kept putting increasingly agonizing pressure on the front-line workers, more restaurants wanted to show their support, which finally led to the nationwide, "We Wok Together" program.

At the same time, the participating restaurants are required to strictly follow all listed hygiene standards by CDC.

“We want the community to know that there are Chinese people and Chinese restaurants who love them and who support them,” said Hu.

The restaurants expected to provide free meals throughout April during Illinois’ initial stay-at-home order period. As the statewide stay-at-home order has been extended until at least May 31, Hu said some restaurants might still provide free meals but they have not planned to extend "We Wok Together" yet.