Coronavirus fight inspires NYC restaurant to serve free meals to hospital workers
While health workers fight for machines and face masks, the Brooklyn Chop House is handling food
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Doctors and other health professionals fighting the coronavirus in New York are getting some help in the form of food.
That’s thanks to Manhattan’s Brooklyn Chop House, which in the wake of the pandemic is serving free meals every night to health care workers at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
“These are the heroes. They are on the front lines,” Stratis Morfogen told FOX Business. Morfogen runs the shop, which is co-owned by Robert Cummins and David Thomas.
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“I went for a checkup and saw how hard everyone was working,” Morfogen said. “I thought, ‘Everybody should do something. Let’s make this into a purpose. Let’s change the world a little bit.’”
As the pandemic continued to spread, Morfogen and his team had a chance to do that. And New York needs all the help it can get.
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Of the 98,000 nationwide COVID-19 cases, a whopping 44,600 are in the state, including more than 25,300 in the Big Apple itself, which has become the country’s epicenter for the virus.
Hospitals across the city are battling for crucial supplies like ventilators and medical masks, so Morfogen and his team figured they could at least check food off the list. Their menu includes dishes from chicken satay to crispy beef as well as a carousel of fresh vegetables and rice.
Brooklyn Chop House. (Daniel Kwak)
Since last week, the restaurant has been bringing 40 dinners to the hospital at 6:30 p.m., according to a report in the New York Post, and the response has been good all around.
“Everyone down the line, everyone just feels better,” Morfogen told the Post. “It feels great to help and to see the staff is invigorated, everyone feels better, with smiles on their faces.”
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At least another 35 hospitals have reached out to Morfogen for help and the team is now serving seven in total, including Lenox Hill Hospital and Elmhurst Hospital. After word got out about the restaurant’s goodwill, vendors have also donated food, water and other items.