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Meijer supports local restaurants with holiday meal program

Supercenter retailer thanks employees for extra efforts during pandemic, holiday season

Russell Redman

December 7, 2020

3 Min Read
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Meijer estimated that local restaurants and foodservice operators will cater more than 1,000 holiday meal events in its facilities by the end of the year.Meijer

Meijer is showing appreciation to frontline workers in its stores and distribution centers via a holiday meal program that supports local restaurants.

Through Christmas, all Meijer stores and distribution centers will provide four holiday meals, each catered by a restaurant from their communities, as a way to thank employees for their dedication and hard work during the COVID-19 crisis and busy holiday shopping season.

Nearly 300 Meijer facilities will be hosting multiple holiday appreciation meals for staff in the coming weeks, which will provide a boost to local restaurants struggling amid the pandemic, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer said. Meijer estimated that local businesses will cater more than 1,000 holiday meal events in its facilities by the end of the year, serving more than 250,000 individual meals to its workers.

“As a family-owned Midwestern company, we know that communities are built around local businesses,” Meijer President and CEO Rick Keyes said in a statement. “These meals not only show our support of our team members, but also of the local businesses our communities depend upon. Both groups truly deserve a little extra appreciation this holiday season.”

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Jackie Bruce of Timothy's Restaurant prepares hundreds of packaged stir-fry dishes for Meijer employees in Lincoln Township, Mich.

Related:Meijer kicks off online grocery delivery with Instacart

 

Timothy's Restaurant in Union Pier, Mich., recently provided 275 Hawaiian chicken stir-fry meals to Meijer’s Lincoln Township and Benton Harbor stores. The restaurant has been a mainstay of its lakeshore community for the past 20 years, providing upscale farm-to-table dining, but this year has been tough, Meijer noted. In 2020, Timothy's has seen its volume drop 80%, and its workforce of 35 people has been cut to six.

“It means a lot to have Meijer's support. It was a huge boost for us,” said Chef Timothy Sizer, owner of Timothy’s Restaurant. “I was able to bring in three extra people to help prepare the meals on a day we wouldn’t normally be open. They were thrilled for the extra shifts.”

Sizer added that, as a chef, he spends a lot of his time in his local Meijer store. “I go to Meijer almost every day, mainly because of the great produce selection. When you’re there so often, you start to build relationships with everyone from the greeter to the store director. They’re just really good people. It’s nice to go in and everyone knows you by name.”

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Meijer Lincoln Township store associates Melissa Abbott, Dawn Mackie and Cindy Wheeler enjoy dishes from Timothy's Restaurant under the retailer's holiday meals program.

Meijer partnered with Timothy’s in March on a similar initiative to feed store associates from local restaurants impacted by the pandemic, and Lincoln Township Store Director Rob Vassar said he’s eager to support Sizer again with the new program, which kicked off on Thanksgiving.

Related:Meijer aids local restaurants with meal-buying program

“We are so pleased to be able to provide such a high-quality meal for our team members as a sign of our appreciation,” Vassar said. “The food is great, and it’s made even better by knowing we’'re supporting a local business when they need us.”

Overall, Meijer operates 256 supercenters and grocery stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.

The economic picture for the U.S. restaurant industry looks bleak. According to the National Restaurant Association, 10,000 restaurants across the country have shut down in the past three months alone. A new survey by the association revealed that 87% of full-service restaurants — independent, chain and franchise — report a 36% average decrease in sales, and 83% of full-service operators expect sales to be even worse over the next three months. In addition, 58% of chain and independent full-service restaurants anticipate further furloughs and layoffs for at least the next three months. About 17% of restaurants, or more than 110,000 establishments, are completely closed, the association estimated.

For our most up-to-date coverage, visit the coronavirus homepage.

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About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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