One year after its official launch, The Great American Takeout is returning to help restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with the restaurants that helped get the campaign going and the sponsors who helped along the way, The Great American Takeout is calling on consumers to order a takeout or delivery meal on Wednesday, March 24 and share a photo on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #TheGreatAmericanTakeout.

For every takeout order shared socially on March 24, The Great American Takeout’s sponsors will donate $10 to the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) and Children of Restaurant Employees (CORE) to support restaurant workers and their families. Other sponsoers, including Rich Products, The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Nestlé Professional, Tyson Foods, Constellation Brands, Smithfield Foods, Keurig Dr Pepper, IFMA and GP Pro, have pledged to donate up to $555,000 combined.

Foodservice supplier Rich Products has been a decades-long supporter of the NRAEF and a partner of The Great American Takeout since its inception. To continue its support, Rich’s has pledged to donate an additional $25,000 to the NRAEF, bringing its total contribution from The Great American Takeout to $75,000.

As an additional lift to the industry, Rich’s is surprising nearly 8,750 of its associates with “lunch on us” – an activation that will fuel nearly $125,000 back into the industry to directly support restaurants across the country.

On March 24, Rich’s US and Canada manufacturing, office, field and remote associates will receive lunch, courtesy of Rich’s. Nearly 7,000 of Rich’s manufacturing associates across 29 locations will receive lunch from a restaurant in their local community, while an additional 1,750 associates will receive a digital gift card to order a meal from a local restaurant.

“If there’s one thing this pandemic has shown us it is that great impact can come from shared ideas, support and commitment,” says Kevin Spratt, senior vice president, Group Business Channels, Rich Products. “The Great American Takeout is a testament to exactly that and it’s been energizing to see this groundswell of support for the restaurant industry build over the past year. Foodservice is such an important part of our business and we’re proud to use our collective impact to directly support our customers.”  

Since the pandemic began, more than 110,000 restaurants and bars have closed nationwide, resulting in the loss of 2.5 million jobs. At the same time, millions of restaurants, operators, owners and employees have defied the odds to keep their kitchens cooking. The Great American Takeout anniversary event is a simple way consumers can support the industry on its road to recovery, as the campaign has reached more than 117 million people and raised $900,000 for charitable organizations supporting the restaurant industry.

“The past year has been devastating to the restaurant industry,” says Rob Gifford, president, NRAEF. “We’re grateful to The Great American Takeout and its sponsors for supporting restaurants and restaurant workers as the industry works tirelessly to rebuild.”