Chef and TV personality Guy Fieri has awarded $300,000 in bottom-line financial support to restaurant owners during the inaugural live stream of Guy’s Restaurant Reboot Presented by LendingTree program, which attracted more than four million viewers. In addition to the financial support, the event provided guidance and inspiration to the next generation of restaurant owners.
The funds were given to 11 winners live on the show, provided by the event's founding partners:
• Charmaine Royal, an aspiring restaurateur majoring in culinary arts at Drexel University, and Avonte Hartsfield, owner of Rollin Roots food truck, a vegan-based concept with a "pay what you can" program in San Diego. (Funded by Lending Tree)
• Margalara Safi, owner of Maya Halal Taqueria, a Mexican taqueria with Middle Eastern influences located in Oakland, California. (Funded by SpotOn)
• Jamie Warrick, a University of Holy Cross senior who dreams of opening a food incubation hub for small businesses to help manage their food business. (Funded by Pepsi)
• Amanda Lacher and Julia Li, co-owners of PorchBox, serving nourishing and fresh American comfort food in every box located in Laguna Hills, California. (Funded by AT&T Business)
• Jennifer Le and Reynard Ledord, co-owners of Lêberry Bakery & Donut, a plant-based bakery in Pasadena, California. (Funded by Dawn & Cascade)
• Matthew Delaney, a California State Polytechnic University-Pomona student majoring in restaurant management with dreams of becoming a franchise owner. (Funded by Grubhub)
• Gustavo Tonella, owner of Doggos Gus Mexican Hotdogs, a Mexican-inspired hot dog stand in San Diego. (Funded by Twisted Tea)
• Valerie Contreras, a University of Central Florida student with plans of opening a café that will feature local artists and open mic nights. (Funded by Conagra)
• Kimberly Cabrera, a Johnson & Wales student pursuing pastry arts with a dream of owning her own bakery. (Funded by Thermomix)
• Dawn Rose, a mother of seven attending California Baptist University with dreams of owning her own restaurant. (Funded by Thomasville)
"Very stoked and honored to receive this opportunity from Guy Fieri and LendingTree," said Rollin Roots’ Hartsfield, in a statement. "I am excited to put forth the funds to expand into a brick-and-mortar restaurant location, and also use some funds to retain staff members during these times. This is a definite stepping stone to reaching my lifelong goal of owning a thriving restaurant and I can't express how grateful I am to Guy and LendingTree for their generosity."
Related: US Foods Launches Products to Help Restaurants; NRA Encourages Legislators to Continue Support of Restaurants.
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