Kitchen Party Celebs Boost Ailing Restaurant Industry

By FYI Staff

Today (April 15) is national #TakeoutDay, and Canadians are encouraged to make every Wednesday #TakeoutDay by ordering from their favourite local restaurant.

Giving the event a celebrity-driven push is Canada's Great Kitchen Party – Home Edition. On Wednesday, April 15th, 22nd and 29th, while Canadians enjoy their takeout, KP-Home Edition will be virtually entertaining people in their homes with some of the country's best musicians, comedians, athletes and chefs in a special show of support.

These shows will air on Kitchen Party – Home Edition's Facebook at 8 pm EST and are hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos, who says, in a press release, that he was "excited to do his part as we find creative ways to help our good friends in the restaurant industry."

Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo, Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies, Tom Cochrane, Barney Bentall and Sam Roberts will perform on Canada's Great Kitchen Party- Home Edition, with more drop-ins being announced weekly. Alan Doyle ( Great Big Sea, the Alan Doyle Band, says that he is "looking forward to bringing some Newfoundland Kitchen Party spirit to Takeout Day to help restaurants here in St John's and across Canada."

Olympic gold medalist Tessa Virtue, silver medalist Curt Harnett, and Paralympic multi-medalist Benoit Huot are scheduled to make appearances - with many others in the weeks to come.

KP co-founder Karen Blair explains that "for years we have been bringing some of Canada's best chefs, athletes and musicians together under one umbrella, and in times like this, it is impressive to see so many of the artists and athletes we work with, come forward to help local restaurants stay open."

The Canadian restaurant industry has been especially hard hit by the current pandemic. Restaurants Canada estimates that 800K foodservice jobs have already been lost nationwide due to Covid-19, and foodservice sales are expected to be down nearly $20B for the second quarter of 2020.