News of the devastating fire that destroyed the Matunuck Oyster Bar on May 20 swept through the Rhode Island restaurant community as quickly as it did South Kingstown, where the restaurant is located.
There is no industry that mobilizes to help like the food service and restaurant community. This time, those in need are members of that community. So, within 24 hours of the fire, the Rhode Island Hospitality Education Foundation of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association established an official Employee Relief Fund.
Farouk Rajab, CEO and president of both the hospitality association and the education foundation, said setting up the fund was a “no-brainer.”
“[Matunuck Oyster Bar owner and founder] Perry Raso has always been there for the industry,” Rajab said. “He’s one of our strong members of the association and one of the very active members on the education foundation, which is our 501(c)(3).”
Rajab explained that it is the nonprofit arm of the state’s restaurant, food service and lodging association that is leading the effort to raise funds for some 300 Matunuck team members who have been affected. This puts the MOB, as Matunuck Oyster Bar is affectionately known, among the state’s largest restaurant employers.
“We’re going to do our best to help them, you know, put food on the table, put gas in their car, or pay rent … whatever they need, we’re going to be there for them as much as we can,” Rajab said.
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OUT FRONT: Farouk Rajab, CEO and president of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association and the Rhode Island Hospitality Education Foundation, is leading the effort to support staff members of the Matunuck Oyster Bar after a fire ravaged the South Kingstown restaurant on May 20.
COURTESY RHODE ISLAND HOSPITALITY ASSOCIATION[/caption]
The restaurant is well known and well regarded far and wide. There are few “best-of” lists in which Raso and his eatery are not listed near the top. Raso’s tireless work in aquaculture and sustainable farming methods have also been noteworthy over the past two decades.
“While we are heartbroken that our doors will be temporarily closed, we are committed to opening them back up and welcoming guests back to our tables as soon as possible,” Raso said in a statement through a spokesman.
Of course, that is going to take time. To add to the heartache and frustration, we’re on the doorstep of the big summer season here in Rhode Island. Among the restaurant’s staff members, there are part-timers who put in as few as three hours a week, while others are full-time employees logging 40-50 hours a week. With that great of a variance – from valets to dishwashers, servers, cooks, and even fishermen – there is a long list of needs and what could be a daunting and lengthy process to sort out.
The fact that an industry-specific organization is administering the fund may be a breakthrough, however. Instead of bureaucracy, the fund was able to provide immediate assistance to workers.
Rajab says the support, like the employee roster, takes many different forms. The first form of assistance is in microgrants, which began to be paid out within a week of the fire. The second part of the relief effort took the form of job placements.
“We have worked with many of the members of our association to see who has an opening and availability to hire Matunuck Oyster Bar staff members,” Rajab said.
The response has been tremendous, he added.
While there continues to be a great hiring need in the industry, one segment that has reached out with many positions open has been hoteliers statewide, with several from the immediate coastal area. Rajab says it could be an immediate permanent job for some.
The education foundation is stepping up to be the official point of contact for all MOB employee relief requests. If you’re able to donate, visit rihospitality.org/MOB. The education foundation is committed to ensuring that 100% of the proceeds are distributed to the affected Matunuck Oyster Bar employees in the coming months.
“Dining Out With Bruce Newbury,” syndicated weekly on radio, is heard in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont and Indiana. Contact Bruce at bruce@brucenewbury.com.
