DENVER — Even as restaurants have to scale back operations or close their doors, they're still finding ways to give back.
At Rioja in Larimer Square, it's far from business as usual, but Jen Jasinski is still in the kitchen.
"At Rioja we're making chicken enchiladas this week," said Jasinski. "We're making 500 meals a day out of this restaurant."
These particular meals have a special purpose.
"We're really excited to be able to help out people who need it and are maybe food insecure," said Jasinski. "Whatever we can do to help out."
It's all for Colorado Restaurant Response, which Gabe Cohen and a few other restaurateurs helped found in just days.
"You had kitchens with incredible, talented staff, and you had people who need food," said Cohen. "We realized there was an opportunity to take many of these restaurants who are shuttering their doors and convert them."
Rioja, Mercantile, Bar Dough, and Kachina are each making 500 meals a day for people in need.
"In turn we're able to hire a number of staff for each one of these restaurants," said Adam Schlegal, who started Chook and Snooze. "We're recreating jobs and giving life back to these people and we're giving back to people in need."
For Schlegal, it's a much needed bright spot.
"It's one of the first truly uplifting things that we've been able to do," said Schlegal. "This has been a really, really difficult time in the past two weeks."
Colorado Restaurant Response partners with Denver Emergency Food Network and Bondadosa to get the meals to communities in need.
"Our hope is to continue to grow this because we know there are a lot of people in need and restaurants want to work and provide this," said Schlegal.
Colorado Restaurant Response is accepting donations on its website. They're also looking for volunteers.
All of the restaurants are offering take out menus, which they said is a great way to support them at this time.
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