Restaurants Feed COVID Doctors, Nurses to Survive

At the end of December, coronavirus case numbers and hospitalizations were increasing in Portland, Oregon.

Doctors and nurses caring for the most seriously ill at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) were growing extremely tired just when they were needed the most. Then, some of the city’s most popular restaurants began delivering meals to the hospital.

For workers who only took off their protective face coverings once to eat during a 12-hour work day, the meals were more than just food. “It’s almost like having a weight lifted. It’s like getting a surprise dozen roses or something,” nurse Alice Clark said. “We’re so grateful.”

The meals also served another purpose: They kept struggling restaurants in business. Eateries were closing after a months-long indoor dining ban. The hospital sometimes orders 150 or 160 meals at a time. So their business was a huge help to restaurants.

Kiauna Floyd is the owner of Amalfi’s, a Portland restaurant that has been serving Italian food for 62 years. She said, “It’s kept the doors open and a small workforce employed.”

Workers at the restaurant prepared around 500 meals for OHSU. That permitted Floyd to keep a number of her people working after dismissing 75 percent of her employees. The restaurant is currently struggling to stay in business with limited outdoor seating, orders for carry out and pre-prepared meals-to-go.