VIRGINIA BEACH, VA.—Approximately 3.3 million tons of food waste from hotels, restaurants and bars goes into landfill sites every year. Yet, 4 percent of U.S. households experience chronic hunger. This month, The Founders Inn and Spa, in partnership with Operation Blessing, will follow the Capella Hotel Group Fragments program standards, to make soup for New Life Christian Center, East Ocean View to distribute. Capella Hotel Group manages The Founders Inn and Spa.
Each week kitchen staff saves all unused food from the restaurant and catered events that would normally be discarded. Generally this consists of soup, proteins, starches, and vegetables. Salvaged food is packaged air-tight and stored in the refrigerator. On Thursday afternoon the kitchen staff places the soup base with all of the food into a large, temperature controlled, stock pot to create a hearty soup. The soup is then stored. Later in the week, staff heats the soup before it is picked up by the Operation Blessing team for the New Life Christian Center to support their existing program of serving hot meals to the local community. All guidelines of the local Department of Health are strictly followed.
“The Fragments program brings our employees the reward and fulfillment of helping struggling citizens in our community, it reduces waste and it sets an example in our industry,” says Sascha Hemmann, general manager. “The program provides the tools and the framework to excite and inspire leaders in the hospitality industry to become catalysts in our community. It helps fight hunger and make a difference by doing what we do best; serving others.”
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