Former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner is planning to open The Rockaway Restoration Kitchen, a restaurant in Rockaway, Queens, a neighborhood devastated by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The neighborhood isn’t known for its cuisine. But that’s not the point. Weiner hopes to train and employ residents in the area, particularly those with a history of substance abuse, incarceration or health problems. The restaurant will be run as a non-profit organization. And it’s assumed Weiner will receive help or advice from his brother Jason, chef and co-owner of the Almond restaurant in Manhattan.
Weiner should consider a partnership with Greyston Bakery–it’s worked for socially minded Ben & Jerry’s. Greyston, a bakery in the Bronx, provides jobs and training to low-income city residents. If you’ve ever had a scoop of Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie or Half-Baked ice cream flavors, you’ve enjoyed the fudgy brownies of Greyston and helped keep a New Yorker employed. Weiner is promising to post pictures of the daily specials.
