ABOUT US
Restaurants are the lifeblood of New York City. They have always been our culture, our comfort, and a vital source of connection and creativity in our city. Let’s return the favor.
Owners and managers must continually adjust their daily operations and offerings as they pivot to adapt to the COVID-19 crisis. Updating their communications to reflect these changes on the fly is one of the many challenges they face, without the funding or the workforce to do so. Creatives for Kitchens is a collective of volunteer art directors, designers, developers, and writers offering our services to help restaurants survive and thrive in these uncertain times.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to help restaurants stay in touch with patrons in a world of physical distancing. We do this by helping them rapidly adapt their marketing assets to reflect the decisions they’re forced to make each and every day for the wellbeing of their businesses and employees.
Our special sauce? Decades of combined experience working on advertising, marketing, and design initiatives for some of the world’s biggest and most beloved brands.
WHAT OUR VOLUNTEERS SAY
“Having the opportunity to be involved in Creatives for Kitchens has been an unexpected highlight of 2020. The people I've met and the creativity that these projects inspired has renewed my optimism in our ability to adapt and create positive change.”
Liliana Dahlen, Motion Artist
“I was feeling really helpless at the start of the pandemic as I saw so many crises surround me. I was so grateful to find an opportunity that let me contribute in a capacity I felt confident in. I wanted to take off the burden of creating creative assets that often falls on the shoulders of the restaurant owners.”
Olivia Kane, Graphic Designer & Letterer
“Getting the chance to work directly with other talented passionate, creative individuals and our restaurant was an invaluable experience on both ends. Would be happy to help other restaurants through Creatives for Kitchens any time.”
Ashley Kummer, Strategist
“So many restaurants in NYC are full of talent, groundbreaking ideas, and add to the culture of the city. Seeing these places struggling during COVID was heartbreaking. I wanted these businesses to know that they weren't alone, and they had a team of creative professionals (all over the country) willing to help in whatever way they could. Things as simple as a new menu design, updated website experience, and ease of online ordering truly can make all the difference in this new world!”
Emily Mitchel, Art Director & Designer
“I look forward to working on more C4K projects in the future!”
Sophia Bernard, VP Account Director Edelman Digital
“We have a saying in advertising that “we’re not saving lives here” and we may not be saving lives but Creatives for Kitchens gave us the opportunity to use our skills to potentially save livlihoods.”
Vanessa Carny, CD/CW
“As creatives, we have so much to offer and knowing that we were able to help out these amazing small businesses during an already tough time was such a great feeling. I really hope that Creatives for Kitchens continues all of their incredible work and the team grows.”
Bhavi Kadakia, Digital Marketer
“The NYC F+B industry is near and dear to my heart, so volunteering my services was a no brainer in any way I could. I felt as though my goal by being a volunteer for CFK was to help in any capacity I could, as well as keep my own creative spirit going. Restaurants are like families, and because of the shut down, it felt like a time in which "we" all needed to rally behind for support. Even now, more than ever!”
Emma Rose Milligan, Photographer
“Not only have we gotten to work with a fun, awesome brand - but our team is great and quickly provided new relationships to other talented creatives. I have also been interested in experimenting with some new processes while also helping do some good during this downtime, and this was the perfect outlet.”
Josh Ingram, Social Strategist