Case Study - Ruby Slipper
The Ruby Slipper Restaurant Group is an award-winning restaurant concept, known for adding New Orleans flair to Southern breakfast, brunch and lunch classics.
Bregal Responsible Investment Report - 2019/2020
Founded in 2008, after Hurricane Katrina devastated the New Orleans area, Erich and Jennifer Weishaupt created a place where locals could enjoy unique New Orleans-inspired dishes in an authentic and vibrant atmosphere. The concept now operates 18 restaurants across Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee and North Carolina.
Sector: Food retail
Head office: New Orleans, LA, USA
Since the inception of our brand, we have set out to be the first to raise our hand to help serve our team, our guests and our community, to leave them better than how we found them.
Supporting local federal employees affected by the government shutdown:
$15,000
Contribution
7,000+
people helped
c.$55,000
donated (in free meals)
Providing free meals to those in need
In 2019, due to the longest US government shutdown in history, approximately 800,000 federal workers were furloughed. In line with one of Ruby Slipper’s core values of supporting and giving back to local communities, the company was committed to finding a way to positively impact those directly affected by the shutdown.
In response, Ruby Slipper launched a unique initiative, offering free meals to furloughed federal employees and their families. With the support of the Social Impact Initiative, they were able to feed more than 7,000 people and donated approximately $55,000 in free meals. The programme was a great success and garnered overwhelmingly positive responses from all who benefited, in addition to the community at large.
Ongoing support during the pandemic
The fight against Covid-19 has resulted in significant unemployment across the country and in particular in New Orleans, where Ruby Slipper is based. Faced again with a unique and challenging situation, Ruby Slipper continued to stay true to its roots and found a way to give back, in spite of the economic challenges faced as a restaurant during the Covid-19 pandemic.
From the onset of the ‘stay at home’ orders issued by local government, Ruby Slipper committed to ensuring their Krewe members and families would have a warm meal to eat by offering all Krewe throughout their restaurant group’s locations up to four meals (per family) daily for eight weeks.
Ruby Slipper also launched a programme partnering with loyal guests and community to donate meals for Covid-19 frontline response workers, which helped serve thousands of meals. In addition, the company’s founders launched the Lagniappe Krewe Emergency Relief Fund to help support hospitality workers and their families who have been impacted by situations beyond their control, particularly as a result of the pandemic. With the support of the Bregal Helps Initiative’s grant of $100,000, the fund is expected to provide vital support for over 400 people.
Bregal Partners
Building world-class businesses in the middle market in North America.
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