Takeout 25 NFP

Takeout 25 was started in November 2020 in response to the pandemic that induced helplessness and hopelessness in the people and businesses of Oak Park IL. It started with a simple math equation to arrive at a specific ask of community members to support their local food establishments that form the backbone of the local economy. 10,000 residents spending $25 a week on local takeout creates $1 million a month in takeout business. This provides the approximately 100 restaurants in Oak Park an average monthly income of $10,000 each to cover basic operational costs to survive the pandemic. The mission was to help local restaurants survive the pandemic while keeping the community safe during the pandemic. Takeout 25 now includes Oak Park and it’s neighboring communities to the west of Chicago. Takeout 25 is now a community of over 13,000 members and a network of 100 restaurants. In addition to bringing the community together, Takeout 25 has saved local jobs and business by generating over $15 million in incremental business activity. This impact prompted us to expand the Takeout 25 mission and launch it as a not for profit in September 2021—which happens to be hunger action month. The Takeout 25 NFP mission now includes addressing food insecurity/food waste and sustainability of local food systems in addition to innovative ways to strengthen the local economy/community. The values we hold dear in the pursuit of this mission are positivity, community focus, impact, innovation and sustainability.