On Tuesday, March 23, representatives from I Love Juice Bar and Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe presented the Nashville Area American Red Cross with a check for $4,922.
The Fresh Hospitality concepts joined forces on a February campaign to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the March tornadoes that devastated communities across Tennessee and to support the Red Cross’s continued work to provide aid and relief to those affected.
Throughout February, select I Love Juice Bar and Taziki’s locations in Middle Tennessee collected donations from guests and pledged to donate $1 from every bowl of soup sold at their stores to the cause. Participating locations included I Love Juice Bars in Belle Meade, Berry Hill, Brentwood, Germantown, The Gulch and Mt. Juliet, and Taziki’s in Brentwood, Cool Springs, Franklin, Green Hills, The Gulch, Hendersonville, Mt. Juliet and Nashville’s West End.
Rachel Layton, Managing Partner at I Love Juice Bar and former VP of Marketing at Taziki’s, recalled the massive contributions the Red Cross made following the 2020 tornadoes.
“Fresh Hospitality is truly ingrained and invested in the Nashville community, and it was absolutely heartbreaking for us to see the extent of the damage inflicted upon our friends and neighbors last March,” Layton said. “We jumped into action as a company, and it became immediately apparent that the Red Cross was making a huge difference with their work. As we reflect on a year full of traumatic events, challenges and hardships, we felt that it was important to thank the Red Cross for continually stepping up and doing what they do best – in the aftermath of tornadoes, throughout a pandemic, during snowstorms, through everything that has been thrown our way.”
Michael Hare, Corporate Philanthropy Officer with the American Red Cross of Tennessee, said that Fresh Hospitality’s donation will allow the organization to continue to provide resources to those currently in need and to prepare for future events.
“The work of the Red Cross continues across our community every day, helping our communities prepare for and recover from disasters of all kinds,” Hare said. “We are grateful for partners like Tazikis and Juice Bar for their continued support and commitment to meeting the needs of our neighbors in Middle Tennessee.”
Dale Wasem, Tazikis’ Nashville Operating Partner, noted that the donation also holds significance for Fresh Hospitality, which, along with many other businesses and hospitality concepts, recently marked a year since the pandemic forced them to close their doors and furlough employees.
“March marks both the anniversary of the tornadoes and the COVID-19 pandemic turning our world upside down, including every aspect of the hospitality industry,” Wasem said. “We are incredibly thankful to the Red Cross for its continuous relief efforts in the midst of so many other challenges, and for our Fresh Hospitality family’s willingness to support one another and the community through it all.”
To learn more about I Love Juice Bar, visit www.ilovejuicebar.com. To learn more about Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe, visit www.tazikis.com.
