Hey friends,
In the almost three weeks since we closed, we have witnessed an extraordinary awakening in our country to the reality of racial injustice in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder. While we have been quarantined and thus watching the protests unfold from the sidelines, we have been moved by this reckoning and inspired by the bravery of all who stand up to demand change.
We are a restaurant and thus our primary mission lies in that arena, and we have always been proud to serve creative food and drinks, to help support community non-profits we believe in through fundraising and food donations, and to try to be an organization whose practices line up with our values. We don’t succeed 100% of the time, and we make mistakes, but we try hard every day to learn and do better.
In these weeks of quarantine, we have had the space to reflect and listen to the voices of Black men and women share the truth that the heavy weight of discrimination, oppression and violence remains on the backs of so many people of color, particularly Black Americans. It is not the first time that these voices have spoken it, but the strength of the message has grown so strong with the many, many voices saying "Black Lives Matter."
We hear it, we believe it, and we are called to action beyond the status quo. As a company, we know that we are not where we want to be, and we are not finished with the hard work of getting there. We haven't had as many hard conversations as we need to have, we haven't implemented the kind of policies that would truly help to get us to a better place. Why not? Because we've been busy with the many challenges of starting and running restaurants, and because we have been in a place of acceptance of the status quo even when so many signs were there telling us that it wasn't working, especially in the restaurant industry
Right now, as we navigate COVID-19, we have a chance to rebuild our company into a better version of itself. A restaurant may not change the world, but we believe we do have a responsibility to ensure that we are aligned with the values we want to see in the world, and that we look within at the things we can do to promote change. And we do believe that a restaurant has the power to change the lives of those who work there and to make the community a better place for all of us.
Right now we know we are not okay with the status quo. Knowing we are not okay with something doesn't mean we have a solution or can fix it. But we can listen, learn, help where we am able, and encourage others to do the same.
Specifically, in our workforce, we are committing to a $12 minimum wage for all by the end of 2020 and we now offer health insurance to our workforce. We are committing to job training that promotes equality and provides skills that our employees can use to earn more money or get jobs with upward mobility, whether in our company or elsewhere. We look to expanding our company to provide more high-skill, salaried jobs.
In the industry, we look to working with organizations such as the Providence Culinary Training Program, the Triad Food & Beverage Coalition, the James Beard Foundation, and the Piedmont Culinary Guild to promote positive change for food workers, restaurants and customers in our community and around the country.
In the community, we look to follow and support leaders who raise awareness about social injustice and work for change. We will continue to expand our partnerships with non-profits, schools and organizations that impact the lives of people of color.
We will speak out and be a better ally to Black Americans and people of color.
As we go forward trying to fix things that were never okay but somehow were okay for enough of us that they survive still today, we will share with you where we are and we invite you to share with us. We value your partnership and appreciate that you are part of the community we treasure here in Winston-Salem.
Thank you for listening, for being there for us when we have needed it, and for being part of what makes this such a special place to live, work & raise our families.
Love, peace and we'll see you soon!
Claire & all of us
