SWFL catering company delivers 15,000 hot meals in Sarasota, Tampa

Artichoke & Co. worked Thursday and Friday to get the meals from kitchen to helicopter to hungry people in need.

By Mark Gordon
| 6:10 p.m. October 12, 2024
| 2 Free Articles Remaining!

Artichoke & Co. partnered with the World Central Kitchen to airlift the food on Oct. 11.

Charlotte–Lee–Collier

Bonita Springs catering business Artichoke & Co. prepared 15,000 hot meals for first responders, volunteers and victims of Hurricane Milton in the Sarasota, Tampa and Orlando areas.

To ensure meals arrived hot and fresh for those in need, the caterer, according to a statement, partnered with World Central Kitchen to airlift the food on Friday, Oct. 11, to west and central Florida. Helicopters made stops in Sarasota, Brandon, Brooksville and other communities impacted by Hurricane Milton.

“We always want to give back to our community, whether it’s after a natural disaster like a hurricane or just providing support for local nonprofits,” Riley Gorman, director of events and weddings for Artichoke & Co., says in the statement. “It’s important for us to show the community we’re there for them, and that’s how we do it — through the food.”

Artichoke & Company Head Chef Richard LeBeau, left, and Riley Gorman prepare hamburger meat destined for first responders in the Tampa Bay area who are helping the region recover from Hurricane Milton.

Artichoke & Co. staff began preparing the meals before dawn on Thursday, Oct. 10, working under generator power at times as electricity service was sporadic. The meals, which consisted of chicken, beef, rice, vegetables and other items, were delivered Friday via multiple trucks to the Lee Health Sports Complex in Fort Myers, the release states. From there volunteers packed helicopters for their quick journeys into neighbors severely impacted by the storm.

Artichoke & Company staff visited multiple vendors and suppliers on Thursday, Oct. 10 to purchase meat, vegetables and other ingredients to prepare up to 15,000 meals for first responders in the Tampa Bay region.

Artichoke & Co. has been serving the region since 1996. The full-service custom catering and event planning company has provided catering and event expertise for hundreds of thousands of events and is the official caterer partner for the FGCU Eagles at Florida Gulf Coast University. In addition to Bonita Springs, the company has offices in Fort Lauderdale and Sarasota.

Artichoke & Co. Chef Justin Blackshear transfers rice onto a serving tray to enable easier transport to the Tampa Bay area. Artichoke staff spent all day on Thursday, Oct. 10 preparing food for first responders.

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Mark Gordon

Mark Gordon is the managing editor of the Business Observer. He has worked for the Business Observer since 2005. He previously worked for newspapers and magazines in upstate New York, suburban Philadelphia and Jacksonville.