Introduction to West Side’s Soul Food Lounge Initiative
NORTH LAWNDALE — West Side restaurateur Quinten Love isn’t going to let his city go hungry as the Trump administration cuts off funding for food assistance to millions of Americans.
The Initiative
Love will begin serving free meals at The Soul Food Lounge, his restaurant at 3804 W. 16th St. in North Lawndale, from noon-3 p.m. every Tuesday starting this week. The Soul Food Lounge will offer meals to “anyone who’s hungry,” Love said.
“It’s about uplifting people through food,” he said in an interview with Block Club.
Background on SNAP Cuts
Love is launching the initiative the week that the federal government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, known as SNAP, were cut thanks to the prolonged government shutdown. The chef is calling on more restaurants to open their doors to the thousand of Chicagoans left without food assistance benefits.
“I’m taking a step of faith out there … to say that I think that all restaurant owners should do this,” he said. “Until this crisis ends permanently, we should all close our doors on different days once a week [to paying customers] and open them up to give away free meals for at least three hours a day.”
Chef Quentin Love at a soft launch event for soul fusion restaurant The Soul Food Lounge on Friday, September 30, 2021. Credit: Maia McDonald/Block Club Chicago
Impact of SNAP Cuts
On Saturday, nearly 2 million Illinois residents lost SNAP benefits, according to a Illinois Department of Human Services news release. SNAP payments are doled out monthly and are scaled up depending on household size.
Trump administration officials have said they won’t fund the federal program until the government shutdown ends, while Illinois is one of 25 states suing the government, arguing officials must tap into emergency funds during the shutdown to finance the program. A federal judge ruled last week that the government must restore the food assistance, giving the Trump administration a Monday deadline to respond to the order.
Community Response
Nonprofit food pantries, many of which have already been stretched thin by rising demand in recent years, may not have enough food and resources to meet the extra demand from SNAP households, pantry officials have said.
Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order Thursday that funnels $20 million in state funding to food banks across Illinois. But the need for restaurants to fill in those gaps in food assistance is dire, Love said.
The Soul Food Lounge’s Operation
Soul Food Lounge’s operation will be “all hands on deck,” and all who come will be served without having to provide proof of SNAP status, Love said. A mix of volunteers and Love’s own employees will prepare and serve the meals every Tuesday.
“People will donate their time, and we’ll just cook,” he said. “We’ll keep cooking, cook, cook, cook. Then we’ll plate those meals up and keep serving them out the door until we exhaust all the food that we have.”
People who attended the Soul Food Lounge’s soft launch on Friday, September 30, 2021 tried Souther food favorites including a cajun dish with catfish, rice and shrimp. Credit: Maia McDonald/Block Club Chicago
Love’s History of Food Drives
Love has long been a proponent of food drives and provided free meals to the food insecure at his previous restaurant, Turkey Chop, every Monday. The chef opened Soul Food Lounge in 2022 as a joint venture with the Lawndale Christian Development Corporation.
When people starve, violence has a tendency to spike — and without SNAP, those with means carry a responsibility to uphold the nutritional health of marginalized communities, Love said.
“If you’re not eating nutritious meals, you have more of a propensity towards violence,” he said. “It’s not just a bad environment, but it’s also how you eat. That’s why SNAP has been so important, because that was the structure that tried to ensure that people ate properly – and it’s now gone.”
Call to Action
Love announced the program in a video posted to social media, where encouraged donations for the operation through his nonprofit’s GoFundMe page, which raised nearly $2,000 as of Sunday.
“Everyone deserves a nutritious meal. It’s time for us to take action and serve our communities,” Love said in the video. “If all of us are feeding 500 to 1,000 people, we can help fix this problem.”
Other Restaurants Providing Free or Reduced Food
Other Chicago restaurants also providing free or reduced food include. Contact the restaurants listed for more information:
- Manny’s Delicatessen, 1141 S. Jefferson St., is giving out free meals to SNAP recipients starting Monday.
- CheSa’s Bistro and Bar, 3235 W. Addison St., will provide free meals 3-5 p.m. Tuesdays.
- Lou Malnati’s is giving out $10 coupons to the food insecure through a joint program with the Lawndale Community Church starting Sunday.
Conclusion
The initiative by West Side’s Soul Food Lounge is a commendable effort to help those in need, especially during a time when food assistance programs are being cut. It is essential for the community to come together and support such initiatives to ensure that everyone has access to nutritious meals.
FAQs
- What is the Soul Food Lounge’s free meal initiative?
The Soul Food Lounge is offering free meals to anyone who is hungry every Tuesday from noon-3 p.m. - How can I donate to the Soul Food Lounge’s initiative?
Donations can be made through the restaurant’s nonprofit’s GoFundMe page. - Are there other restaurants providing free or reduced food?
Yes, other Chicago restaurants such as Manny’s Delicatessen, CheSa’s Bistro and Bar, and Lou Malnati’s are also providing free or reduced food to those in need.
