Tucson Metro Chamber issued the following announcement on June 29
Todd Graves, founder and CEO of Raising Cane's, one of the fastest growing restaurant companies in the US, is combining his passions for entrepreneurship, the restaurant business and philanthropy as the host of a timely new docuseries titled "Restaurant Recovery." The series is created with producers Kapil Mahendra and Paul Beahan through their Calabasas Films & Media (CFM) banner, and will see Todd travel to cities across the country to help restaurants that have closed or are on the verge of closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Working with restauranteurs in various communities over the course of the next few months, Todd, with his decades long experience building and growing Raising Cane's, will guide local restaurants to come back even stronger post enforced closures. Capturing the heart of each city, Todd and his team of business experts, financial advisors, marketing team, and strategic food enthusiasts will provide knowledge and resources to a range of diverse restaurants, eateries, distilleries/breweries, bakeries and more have been so important to their local communities.
For the initial 20 episode series run, Graves has committed to helping 20 different restaurants with a $2 million relief and recovery budget ($100k per restaurant).
Said Graves, "I don't just want to help these restauranteurs come back, I want them to come back stronger. So when the next pandemic, tornado, hurricane or any disaster strikes, they will be ready and equipped to weather the storm."
Shooting for "Restaurant Recovery" will begin in August and continue for the rest of the year as cities re-open and guidelines are instituted for safe filming and dining activities. The initial schedule includes potential filming in New Orleans, Las Vegas, Miami, Baton Rouge, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, St. Louis, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Denver, Atlanta and more cities based on applications received.
Viewers shouldn't be surprised to see prominent celebrities and personalities making appearances in some episodes in a show of support for their hometown.
Series executive producers are Doug Weitzbuch ("World of Dance") and Adam Saltzberg ("Extreme Makeover: Home Edition").
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Todd Graves knows just how hard it is to start a restaurant. As Founder and CEO of Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, Todd has grown his business from a single restaurant in his hometown to more than 500 locations across the US and beyond. Having led his team through numerous disasters including Hurricane Katrina and most recently -- the Covid-19 pandemic, he also know how hard it is to keep a restaurant going and to bring it back after a crisis.
"I want to help people that knew how to be successful in their own business but now need help to overcome these extraordinary circumstances we're facing," added Graves. "I know the challenges of keeping a small business going and I want to help these great independent restaurants that have so much soul and really make a community special. These restauranteurs care about their employees and community and that means a lot to me, and should mean a lot to all of us. In 'Restaurant Recovery,' you'll see an iconic family restaurant that has been around for decades in one episode, and on others it may be a local bakery that is a community' gathering spot, or a new restaurant that has been the owner's dream for decades who fell victim to horrible timing upon opening."
Producer Kapil Maherndra said, "We hope that these incredible actions from Todd will inspire a wave of generosity and support for the great number of restaurants struggling through these times. Working with Todd on this series, it feels like he's helping family members, and that's what will make the series such compelling television - the sincerity, spirit, and energy he brings."
Paul Beahan commented, "If this pandemic has taught us anything it's how precious and fragile the things that bring us happiness, and bring us together are, so we just think it's a great idea to do what we can to help the rebuilding effort. We are proud to work alongside Todd in this time of need for restaurants and feel these restaurant recovery missions will both entertain and inspire. Viewers will come away feeling optimistic."
Restaurants interested in being featured on the show can visit this site to apply: http://restaurantrecovery.com
Original source can be found here.
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