US Foods announced that since March the company has donated more than $35 million in food and supplies to fight hunger during the COVID-19 pandemic, the equivalent of approximately 17 million meals.

US Foods has announced the introduction of its “Make It This Winter” platform. The platform offers a collection of valuable resources, including one-on-one consultations with US Foods experts, informational webinars, new outdoor dining products, and updated online materials and tools for restaurant operators to tackle the ongoing challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

US Foods announced the launch of Holiday Scoop 2020, “Wow Your Diners On- and Off-Premise.” With this special edition of Scoop, operators can design family-style take-out meals to meet increased demand during the busy holiday season, and develop a new rotation of on-trend menu items to help fight menu fatigue whether diners are ordering to-go or dining in. Holiday Scoop features 14 items to help restaurant owners create standout menu items that not only meet diner demand but increase revenue opportunities this season.

US Foods announced the launch of its Fall Scoop 2020 catalog, titled “On Point With Off-Premise – Designed To Make It.” This special edition of Scoop features 14 products designed to address trends within off-premise dining such as labor-saving products perfect for DIY meal kits, and products that will help ease diner safety and hygiene worries, including tamper-evident packaging and sanitation items.

US Foods announced the launch of US Foods Ghost Kitchens, a program designed to guide restaurant operators every step of the way when opening their own operation, helping them easily add a new revenue stream. With the addition of this program, US Foods customers now have access to exclusive resources developed to streamline the process of starting a ghost kitchen, including proprietary technology to help identify menu opportunities, a detailed playbook to guide decision making, dedicated marketing support, webinars and one-on-one consultations with US Foods specialists.

US Foods is donating approximately $250,000 of food to help the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Chicago’s food bank, bring pop-up food pantries to communities of color on Chicago’s South and West Sides, which have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, longtime food insecurity and the recent civil unrest.

US Foods is giving away free reopening kits to qualifying independent restaurant owners to help support restaurant reopening efforts in communities across the U.S. The reopening kits provide independent restaurant operators with must-have supplies such as masks and safety guidance posters as well as resource guides to navigate state and local COVID-19 reopening requirements and help create a safer environment for staff and customers alike.

“The average restaurateur makes about 4 cents for every dollar, and now with decreased traffic and increased costs, it’s even more challenging for them,” says Jim Osborne of US Foods--one of the giants of foodservice distribution to restaurants, hotels, catering, schools and more. On the latest From the Cold Corner Podcast, I talk with Osborne about US Foods’ latest initiative—the Restaurant Reopening Blueprint—to help restaurateurs navigate new guidelines for service, staffing, and customer behavior due to coronavirus.

US Foods launched its latest COVID-19 online operator resource, the US Foods Restaurant Reopening Blueprint. The Restaurant Reopening Blueprint provides operators with a how-to for putting key COVID-19 guidelines into practice as they plan reopening efforts. The Restaurant Reopening Blueprint is informed by interviews with key stakeholders such as diners, restaurant staff and US Foods consultants and chefs. Interviews were also conducted with operators and diners in China to understand what learnings might be applicable for U.S. restaurant operations.

US Foods has donated more than $10 million in food and supplies to local food banks and charitable organizations across the country since the beginning of March. The donations include items such as meat, dairy, produce and other non-food supplies. Given the impacts of COVID-19, many food banks are struggling to meet the increasing needs of their communities as more Americans seek support. According to Feeding America, school closures, rising unemployment and rising poverty due to stay-at-home orders will disproportionately impact people already at risk of hunger and could result in an estimated additional 17.1 million people experiencing food insecurity.