Caribbean Grill is one of 37 independent businesses across the country that has been awarded a $15,000 grant in addition to PPE from the James Beard Foundation. As part of the foundation’s efforts to support and rebuilding the industry, the grant is distributed from the organization’s Food and Beverage Investment Fund for Black and Indigenous Americans.
The James Beard Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to celebrate, nurture, and honor chefs and other leaders making America’s food culture more delicious, diverse, and sustainable for everyone.
Here is the excerpt from the James Beard Foundation website about Caribbean Grill.
Over the past 10 years, Michael Harden Jr. has been serving up spiced rice and peas, oxtail, jerk chicken, and more at his restaurant Caribbean Grill. Harden Jr. got his start vending at food festivals, then slowly expanded his business from catering and carry-out lunch to a food truck in 2015 and finally a brick-and-mortar location in 2017. Since the start of the pandemic, Harden Jr. has seen a 50 percent decrease in revenue and has reduced his business hours to help keep his staff safe. Harden Jr. plans to use the grant to retain and pay employees as well as sustain operations during this time.
Here is what Caribbean Grill anounced on their instagram.
This was a welcomed and pleasant surprise! THANK YOU!! to the James Beard Foundation for putting your money where your mouth is and supporting diverse, independent restaurants like @caribbeangrill! Not only did @beardfoundation send us a box full of PPE to keep our team safe, we’ve also been awarded a $15,000 grant to help keep us #openforgood!
This is what real support and not just lip service looks like. Much gratitude to the Foundation, its donors and partners. We are humbled by this generous action and so proud to be a part of such a diverse and inclusive culinary community.
Check out our interview with owner Michael Harden Jr. and read our reviews of Caribbean Grill here and here.
Caribbean Grill
2135 S Neil St
Champaign
T-Sa 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Top image by Matthew Macomber.
