Miami, a city known for its vibrant culture and thriving culinary scene, faces a stark reality of food disparity. Matt Jozwiak, founder and CEO of Rethink Food, a nonprofit he started in 2017 to repurpose good food into nutritious meals for those in need, recognized this pressing issue and took action to create meaningful change in the community.
In 2021, Jozwiak teamed up with The Genuine Hospitality Group to bridge the Miami food gap. The high-end restaurant group has a broad reach, with hot spots like Michaelʼs Genuine Food & Drink, Amara at Paraiso, and Harry’s Pizzeria under its brand. The plan? To help smaller, local restaurants that are providing community meals.
It worked.
“TGHG implemented a 2% add-on fee rather than a flat fee to ensure equitable cost distribution across varying customer spending habits,” reads a Rethink Food white paper on the results of the collaboration. “The average customer spends roughly $75 at Michaelʼs Genuine or Amara at Paraiso, which translates to a $1.50 contribution per person.”
Diners had the option to opt out, but many did not, and the tips quickly added up. The 3-year-old program is set to hit the $1 million mark in November and a milestone of funding 200,000 meals for Miamians.
“Everybody cares about food insecurity, and any chef or operator would be excited about this,” Michael Schwartz, the founder of The Genuine Hospitality Group, told Miami New Times at the start of the partnership. “We get to do what we do, make food for people, and feel like we’re making a difference. We all want to help, but most of us don’t know how. Rethink Food has figured out all the logistics and made it so easy to get involved, I feel like everyone would say yes to this — it’s all low-hanging fruit.”
Miami’s Stark Reality
Miami’s stark income inequality made it an ideal location for Rethink Food’s expansion. According to a 2019 study published by Florida International University’s Miami Urban Future Initiative, Miami ranks second in the United States for income inequality. This disparity is reflected in the city’s food insecurity statistics, with 10% of Miami residents, including 14% of children, facing food insecurity.
The contrast between neighborhoods is striking. U.S. Census data reveals that 40% of Little Haiti’s residents live below the poverty line, compared to just 4% in the neighboring Upper Eastside.
Rethink Food’s entry into Miami was spearheaded by Sunil Bhatt and chef Michael Schwartz of The Genuine Hospitality Group. Their passion for addressing local food issues convinced Jozwiak to explore opportunities in the city.
“At The Genuine Hospitality Group we aspire to not only provide world-class food and service, but to also be a mission-driven company using our platform and resources to positively impact our industry, our community, and our society,” Schwartz said.
“Rethink Food has given us the opportunity to give back to our community in a direct way. We are excited to offer our guests a way to get involved as well.”
The Impact of the Partnership
The impact of these efforts is already evident. Gepsie M. Metellus, executive director of Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center, described the program as “a lifeline for many families in North Miami.”
The partnership has provided much-needed meals while also stimulating the economy by creating jobs and increasing demand for participating restaurants.
“It’s wonderful that they’re keeping the dollars going around in the community, and that the food they make is culturally familiar to our clients, who are both of Haitian and Latinx descent,” Metellus mentioned to Miami New Times.
“There is a great need and families are dependent on the food. Some of our neighbors can’t believe it. They think in this great country of ours, there is zero hunger. But that’s not what we’re seeing. It’s kept a lot of children and families from being hungry.”
The program’s success has inspired involvement, with a surge of volunteers helping with bagging and distribution. Notably, some of these volunteers were once recipients of Sant La’s food distribution services themselves.
Rising Food Costs and Rethinking Food
The United Way reports that nearly half of the households in Florida are struggling financially. In its 2024 Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed report, it found “46% of Florida households — more than 4 million households — are straining to pay for necessities like food, rent, and transportation.”
The rising costs of groceries and residential expenses in Florida aren’t helping matters.
“There are free school lunch programs where the meals are prepared for $2.20, but it’s terrible and so kids may eat one thing and throw the rest away,” Jozwiak explained. “It’s so much wasted effort. We do regular taste tests to make sure we’re serving tasty food and food that is familiar to the people who will receive it.”
The COVID-19 pandemic presented new challenges for Rethink Food’s operations. Jozwiak recognized the need to adapt its model for safety reasons. “It seemed dangerous to have 15 chefs packed into one space,” he mentioned to Miami New Times. This realization led to a decentralized approach, with smaller groups at local restaurants preparing meals. This pivot became the primary operational model for Rethink Food and set the stage for its expansion into Miami, and eventually, the TGHG partnership.
“Doing good for the community is always something we strive for at TGHG,” said Schwartz, “but connecting the dots and really understanding the impact of what we do on our local community makes this program extra-special.ˮ