LOUISVILLE, Ky. – July 8, 2020—While cooking at home may have seen an increase during the shutdown, restaurants have continued to face challenges. To support the Louisville restaurant industry, Chibo, a start-up from GE Appliances which connects home cooks with food influencers through online, interactive cooking classes, donated $20,000 to assist restaurant workers impacted by COVID-19. A true team effort, the funds given to non-profit Apron, Inc., were raised from Chibo cooking classes and matching donations from GE Appliances. 

“Prior to the shutdown we were flying in hosts from around the world to teach our interactive cooking classes, '' said Taylor Dawson, Founder of Chibo. “When travel came to a halt we pivoted and asked ourselves how we could tap into local chefs to help Louisville’s restaurant industry.  We worked quickly to create the Chibo Restaurant Project, an online cooking class series taught by Louisville area chefs, and were overwhelmed with the response we received.”

Chibo’s Restaurant Project featured top talents like Damaris Phillips, Anthony Lamas (Seviche), Andrew McCabe (bar Vetti), Patrick Roney (Ashbourne Farms), and Mateo Sullivan (Biscuit Belly). The classes sold out as home cooks flocked to learn how to make their favorite dishes. GE Appliances provided a $10,000 match to Chibo’s fundraising efforts to support the local industry. 

“GE Appliances works with local chefs on a regular basis from recipe development to appliance design. The donation match was one way we could invest in our community and help those who work in an industry that has always been an integral part of our business,” said Allison Martin, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship & Digital at GE Appliances. 

The funds raised will allow Apron, Inc. to provide grants to industry workers who have family emergencies and long-term illnesses. Following the success of the Restaurant Project, Chibo will continue to tap local talent for efforts like Chibo Pride, which will fund local LGBTQ+ organizations. 

About Chibo

Chibo is a first-of-its-kind live, interactive cooking experience that allows homecooks to cook along with their favorite hosts from the comfort of their kitchen. Chibo, a GE Appliances start-up, was founded to transform the traditional cooking class method into something accessible, educational, and experiential. With Chibo, homecooks can unlock the future of social cooking. For more information, visit www.cookwithchibo.com.

About GE Appliances

GE Appliances, a Haier company, creates “good things, for life” through our passion for great appliances and the happiness they can bring to every household. With the Monogram®, CAFÉ, GE®, GE Profile™, Haier and Hotpoint brands, people and families have more choices for making their kitchens and homes amazing each day. Our products include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers, air conditioners and water filtration systems. For more information, visit www.geappliances.com/our-company.

About Apron

APRON, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) that provides temporary, limited financial relief to professional food and beverage industry workers in the Louisville, Kentucky metro area who work at locally-owned establishments. Support is given to industry workers who are experiencing financial distress due to illness, injury or other issues. To learn more, visit www.aproninc.org.