Amid Crisis, Venezuela Restaurant Opens its Doors to the Needy

Nationwide power cuts have imposed increasing hardship on the country already struggling with an economic crisis.

The restaurant donates food to charitable foundations and hospitals.

(Photo Courtesy: AP Screengrab)

Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam
Video Producer: Furqan Faridi

Dozens of Venezuelans gathered at a restaurant in a middle-class neighbourhood in Caracas to prepare food for those in need, even as nationwide power cuts have imposed increasing hardship on the country that is already struggling with an economic crisis.

On Monday, 11 March, women and men were busy chopping fish, frying onions and stuffing ‘arepas’ with items donated by people whose groceries would rot in fridges without power, as well as food purchased by the restaurant.

Natali Alvarez, one of the owners of Hache Gourmet, said her restaurant opens Wednesdays through Sunday, and she and her business partner didn't want to wait until Wednesday to find out if the food that was kept in freezers would still be edible by then.

“We prefer a thousand times to donate food that is in good condition than to wait until Wednesday to see what was going to happen with these blackouts.”

Natali Alvarez, Owner, Hache Gourmet

That’s when they decided to announce on social media that the restaurant would be making the traditional stuffed corn-patty arepas, and donating them to charitable foundations and hospitals.

Alvarez had also heard countless stories of people throwing away food because they couldn't cook it in their electric stoves at home and wanted to use her restaurant's gas burners to cook their meals to take home.

When the restaurant made a call for volunteers to lend a hand with the cooking of arepas (traditional stuffed corn-patty), 85-year-old Mercedes Subero jumped at the opportunity to do something for others.

“I said, ‘I’m going to make arepas,’ I brought my apron and that was the only thing I brought, (that) and a lot of will.”

Mercedes Subero, Volunteer