SL Green Realty Corp. (NYSE:SLG), Manhattan’s largest office landlord, today announced the formation and launch of “Food1st”, a non-profit foundation to be organized as a 501(c)(3), to deliver thousands of meals daily to front-line, first responders and medical personnel, elderly New Yorkers and food insecure families. In addition to addressing the increasing demand for food assistance across New York City, Food1st will also help revitalize New York City’s food and beverage industry by re-activating restaurant kitchens, to serve the City and bring restaurant staff safely back to work. SL Green has contributed $1 million as a down-payment to the independent organization in the hope that other companies, organizations and individuals will join the effort to address this crisis.
“The vision for Food1st is to partner with our tenants — beginning with the great, Chef Daniel Boulud — to provide meals to those who need them, safely bring food workers a paycheck and restore vitality and energy to the City we love,” said Marc Holliday, SL Green Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “By establishing and seeding the Food1st non-profit, we hope others will join us in the fight to alleviate the food shortage in New York City caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The initiative will work in partnership with Chef Boulud, who will open a new restaurant at SL Green’s One Vanderbilt later this year, and add other restaurants and non-profit organizations to ensure the widest possible preparation and distribution of food. The effort will launch this morning from Boulud’s downtown prep kitchen and initially provide up to 1,600 meals per day to New York City’s frontline medical workers as the City continues to battle COVID-19. A second phase, scheduled for next week, will include additional SL Green tenants and partners to reach New York’s most food insecure populations. In turn, this will re-activate the kitchens of some of SL Green’s food and beverage tenants, with the goal of preparing and delivering more than 150,000 meals funded by SL Green’s initial grant. Heightened safety precautions and protocols will be in place at all participating kitchens to ensure the health of all involved.
“COVID-19 is a challenge unlike anything we’ve ever faced,” said Chef Daniel Boulud. “The restaurant industry has been hit particularly hard, but we still have the facilities, ability and desire to safely provide quality, nourishing meals to essential workers and those most in need. We’re looking forward to making a positive contribution and we appreciate having the opportunity to partner with SL Green to make this program possible.”
Outreach is underway to additional SL Green tenants, non-profit partners and neighbors to quickly expand the program, reach more New Yorkers and support some of the thousands of food and beverage workers currently without work. The restaurants will provide fully-packaged, healthy meals, with volunteers helping to load and deliver meals. Anyone interested in supporting or partnering with Food1st can reach SL Green Senior Vice President Laura Vulaj at laura.vulaj@slgreen.com.
“This is exactly what New Yorkers are about,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Helping each other during a time of crisis, picking one another up when we’re down — that’s what makes this city and these people so special. On behalf of all New Yorkers, I want to offer my sincerest gratitude to SL Green and Daniel Boulud for all they are doing during our city’s time of need.”
About SL Green Realty Corp.
SL Green Realty Corp., an S&P 500 company and Manhattan’s largest office landlord, is a fully integrated real estate investment trust, or REIT, that is focused primarily on acquiring, managing and maximizing value of Manhattan commercial properties. As of March 31, 2020, SL Green held interests in 102 buildings totaling 49.4 million square feet. This included ownership interests in 28.8 million square feet of Manhattan buildings and 19.6 million square feet securing debt and preferred equity investments.
About Daniel Boulud
Daniel Boulud is Chef-Owner of several award-winning restaurants and the Feast & Fêtes catering company. While he hails from outside Lyon, France, it is in New York that he has truly mastered the dining scene and is today considered one of America’s leading culinary authorities.
Daniel Boulud’s New York City restaurants include his flagship DANIEL (1993), Relais & Châteaux member; the elegant one-Michelin star Café Boulud (1998) with its adjacent cocktail bar, Bar Pleiades; his contemporary Parisian bistro, db bistro moderne (2001); two Upper West Side restaurants including the charcuterie-centric Bar Boulud (2008) and the Mediterranean-themed Boulud Sud (2011). Épicerie Boulud (2011), with locations across from Lincoln Center, within The Plaza Food Hall and in the Oculus World Trade Center, is an eat-in and take-out market and café, with exquisite homemade and gourmet items from around the world.
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