coronavirus long island

Coronavirus News: LI chefs, restaurant workers join together to help during crisis

BySam Ryan WABC logo

Thursday, April 16, 2020

LI chefs, restaurant workers join together to help during crisis

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

BLUE POINT, Suffolk County (WABC) -- When restaurants closed their doors last month, the impact was not only felt by diners. There's also an enormous financial impact on the industry.

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."