Turning Our Words into Actions
Below are some of the meaningful changes we have made as a company.
OCH CDAT
The creation of the Open Concept Hospitality Community & Diversity Action Team (CDAT) with representation from all our restaurants and communities. For more information, visit the Action Team page.
INCLUSIVE HIRING
Inclusive hiring and recruiting policies, with a strong focus on intersectionality and multiculturalism.
DIVERSITY TRAINING
Mandatory diversity training and educational opportunities for all new and existing team members.
LIKE-MINDED SUPPLIERS
Evaluating suppliers and other partners to ensure we are aligning ourselves with like-minded businesses who are dedicated to inclusivity.
SAFE SPACE FOR ALL
A safe and supportive space for all associates and guests, including a zero-tolerance policy for any acts of prejudice or discrimination.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Providing support and a platform for BIPOC groups and charities within our communities by means of donations, clothing drives and partnerships.
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DONATIONS
Regular and ongoing donation of prepared meals to community groups focusing on marginalized populations, particularly those experiencing homelessness and/or food insecurity.
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COMMUNITY SUPPORT
- In September 2020 and 2021, we ran an initiative called Dine Out to Help Out. This month-long initiative led up to Orange Shirt Day, which takes place annually on September 30. Each of our restaurants identified 1-2 popular menu items to be featured, and a portion of the proceeds from these items were donated to Indigenous Friendship Centres in the Toronto, Newmarket, and Hamilton communities. Over the two years of this initiative, our team raised $3,200 for the Indigenous Friendship Centres selected from our communities!
- Clothing drives were run at our Hamilton and Newmarket locations in support of the following organizations:
- Living Rock Youth Services in Hamilton – a safe space of community and support for at-risk youth
- Cornerstone to Recovery in Newmarket – a community focused on supporting those impacted by addiction, helping them to achieve emotional, physical and spiritual wellness
DONATIONS
- Weekly meal drops were conducted to the Scarborough Crossroads Family Resource Centre through Youth Forward Toronto, an organization that supports the needs of the Black community through food donations, mentorship, and a variety of youth-centered programming. Each week, Open Concept Hospitality provided 70 fresh meals to Black youth experiencing food insecurity.
- Meal drops were conducted to Living Rock Youth Resources, an organization that offers youth-at-risk a place of belonging, safety and a bridge to the community, while supporting youth to develop a personal vision for their lives. Open Concept Hospitality provides fresh and healthy meals to youth-at-risk in Hamilton.
- Open Concept Hospitality worked with Out of the Cold to provide fresh meals to unhoused people at homeless encampments experiencing food insecurity. Out of the Cold is an organization that provides the homeless and those in need in our community with nourishment & warm overnight accommodation within a safe, quiet, and welcoming atmosphere.
- In the fall of 2020, Ray’s Food & Liquor worked with the Oyà:na youth group (pronounced oh-yaw-na) through the Niagara Peninsula Aboriginal Area Management Board to provide weekly meals. This program is geared towards training youth for work in the service industry.
COMMUNITY ACTION