Bread + Butter Launches in the Lowcountry with Training Mission to Help the Hospitality Labor Shortage

NEW CULINARY NONPROFIT, BREAD + BUTTER, LAUNCHES IN CHARLESTON, SC
Organization on a mission to solve city’s restaurant staff shortage through training and placement programs

(November 15, 2018 – Charleston, SC) – Xan McLaughlin, managing partner of The Park Cafe, has teamed up with local food advocate Becky Burke to launch Bread + Butter, a culinary nonprofit aimed at connecting Charleston’s hospitality industry with the community at large through staffing and service initiatives.

“It’s well known that the Charleston culinary world is currently at an all-time low with back-of-house staff shortage. We are going to offer a solution to this problem, and by partnering with local training organizations and restaurants, we’ll place qualified, screened employees in hospitality positions where they can shine,” said Burke.

The organization is officially launching with a donation campaign on November 15 that will run through January 10 with a goal of reaching $50,000. To reach the goal, spread awareness, and introduce students who have already secured jobs in Charleston restaurants, Bread & Butter will host gatherings throughout the campaign in Charleston restaurants and bars such as The Glass Onion, Stems & Skins, Husk, Cooper River Brewery, Wine & Co, The Royal American, and Vintage Lounge.

McLaughlin said of the campaign, “we know the Charleston food and beverage community is anxious to see a solution to the staffing issues we all currently face and through the funding we receive with our initial campaign, we will be able to recruit, train, and place hard-working students in kitchens around the Lowcountry.”

One established example partnership is the collaboration Bread + Butter shares with the Burke High School Culinary Arts Program, placing students in paid externships at restaurants throughout the city, and giving guest chefs and hospitality talent from across Charleston the chance to enrich the Burke Culinary Program’s curriculum through weekly presentations.

Bread + Butter also currently partners with One80 Place to supplement the shelter’s culinary training program, which provides hospitality training and placement services to residents in the community. Bread + Butter helps the program by attaining guest chef and hospitality speakers for its curriculum, and also helps to supply program graduates with knife kits, chef coats, and other tools they need to be successful in their new workplace.

Additionally, Bread + Butter is joining West Ashley High School and its after school program for at-risk students, Kids on Point, which serves as a daily four-hour program for students in grades K-12. Kids on Point offers dinner and career coaching for students of all ages, which Bread + Butter will participate in. The demand for the program is so high, there is currently a waiting list of students who are ready to begin their training.

To learn more about Bread + Butter’s mission, vision, team, and initiatives, or make a donation, please visit breadandbutterchs.org.


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