Five new Seattle restaurants opened by FareStart in partnership with Amazon attracted enough patrons and community donations over a 25-day period to raise $1.6 million. A $1 million match from Amazon raised the total to $2.6 million and gave the nonprofit extra reason to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
FareStart announced the success of the campaign — which ran between July 18 and Aug. 11 — on Monday and extended a heartfelt thanks to everyone who dined and donated.
Thanks to all who donated & dined during Amazon’s $1MM Challenge Match, we raised $2.6MM, including matching gifts! #greatfoodbetterlives pic.twitter.com/Ek5msRew32
— FareStart (@farestart) August 14, 2017
“We are humbled by Amazon’s support and the community’s generosity to help people living in poverty,” FareStart CEO Megan Karch said.
The restaurants are located in space donated by Amazon around its campus in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood. Their aim is to provide training opportunities for FareStart’s Foodservice Apprenticeship Program, a new initiative to help entry-level employees in food services gain the skills to move on to higher-wage jobs.
FareStart said that the expansion of its services will enable it to double its reach across all of its training programs over the next 10 years.
The venues, which are open to the public, include Maslow’s (380 Boren Ave. N.), described as a full-service casual restaurant and bar with regionally-sourced ingredients; Community Table (Amazon’s Houdini North, 399 Fairview Ave. N.), offering “a market-like dining experience” that will be home to three casual eateries — one serving BBQ, one featuring made-to-order salads and another offering seasonal vegetables served in bowls with grains; and Rise (also in Houdini North), an Italian-themed coffee shop with pastries and sandwiches.
