A Long Island man has found a way to put some chefs back to work while helping others.
Ryan Carroll, 26, was working as a chef in New York City. When everything changed, he, like many other hospitality workers, were suddenly out of work. So, he returned to his family's Long Island home and improvised.
"I started thinking in a different way, everything fell apart," Carroll said. "I had two options, stay home and quarantine or bring chefs back to work."
That transitioned into Carroll's Kitchen after recruiting other out-of-work chefs and restaurant workers. They're cooking affordable meals for delivery, while operating out of a local restaurant, Bistro 25 East in Blue Point.
"I started assembling a team, every department," Carroll said.
"We all come from different parts, Manhattan, Brooklyn. He developed a great team," said James DeStasio, of Carroll's Kitchen.
And through that teamwork, Carroll's Kitchen expanded to providing meals to nursing homes and health care workers at Long Island hospitals.
"We've hit a lot. We're trying to hit every hospital," DeStasio said.
"They're working 24 hours straight, or forget to eat," Carroll said.
In just over three weeks, Carroll's Kitchen has provided more than 2,000 meals. They've gotten great feedback.
"A lot of love," Carroll said. "It's a really good feeling."
MORE CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 COVERAGE
UPDATES
Grieving the lost: Tri-State residents who have died
New York state
New Jersey
Connecticut
New York City
RESOURCES
Where are the testing centers
See how our communities are making a difference
Free educational resources for parents and children
How you can help victims of coronavirus
RELATED INFORMATION
Share your coronavirus story with Eyewitness News
Stimulus check scams and other coronavirus hoaxes
Coronavirus prevention: how clean are your hands?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on coronavirus