Starting June 3, Nando’s PERi-PERi will start providing tens of thousands of free meals to American grocery store workers who find themselves on the front lines during the deadly COVID-19 crisis.
The donations are an extension of the company’s ‘Standing Together, 6 Feet Apart’ campaign, in which Nando’s has donated more than 100,000 free meals to local hospitals and medical care workers in Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia and Chicago since March 26.
“Grocery employees are working tirelessly to keep us safe during the pandemic, and Nando’s wants to honor their dedication,” said John Fisher, the Nando’s North American CEO. “We began our campaign by donating free meals to local hospitals, nurses and ER doctors, and now we transition to helping grocery clerks, cashiers and others.”
Nando’s will reach out to local supermarkets to provide the company’s signature PERi-PERi flame-grilled chicken and PERi chips (aka fries) to entire shifts of cashiers, clerks, baggers and other grocery employees.
The company will continue to make free deliveries to select hospitals near Nando’s locations on a case-by-case basis. But now that national and local organizations are routinely feeding hospital staff, Nando’s will suspend donations to medical workers at its restaurants.
From June 3 until at least June 28, Nando’s will focus on feeding America’s grocery workers.
In addition, starting June 15, Nando’s will also provide free meals to:
- Postal workers. Postal workers bringing packages and essential items to stay-at-home Americans also will be entitled to a free chicken-and-chips meal from Nando’s. Nando’s wants to thank the US Postal Service for keeping us safe at home.
- Transit workers. Nando’s also wants to honor the hard-working bus drivers, subway and rail workers who transport essential workers safely to and from work. In DC, Metro bus and rail drivers and related staff will be entitled to a free meal on Nando’s. In Chicago, CTA bus drivers, rail operators and related staff can also enjoy a fresh, hot meal courtesy of Nando’s.
- In two weeks, Nando’s will provide more information on how postal and transit workers can collect their free meals, at www.nandosperiperi.com.
Nando’s has stayed open for takeout and delivery in all US markets—that’s DC, Maryland, Virginia and Chicago—while strictly enforcing social distancing for employees and customers.
For safety, all employees wear masks and gloves. A maximum of 10 customers and company employees, are allowed in any restaurant at any given time.
