A South Boston Restaurant Owner Started A Fund To Keep His Employees Paid

When the pandemic first started running wild, I remember a few people saying that this is the point where you'll find out what kind of people you actually work for. There are people/companies that will do round after round of layoffs to protect their overhead, and there are other people/companies that will look out for their employees and do their best to avoid any type of hit to their staff.

The owner of Loco Taqueria in South Boston is the latter, because he's gone so far as to start up a fund just so he can help bridge the gap from now until March for his employees. According to CBS Boston, the owner of Loco, Mike Shaw, set up The Winter Fund and a GoFundMe with the goal of matching, dollar for dollar, everything that all of his staff made in 2019.

That overall goal is $150,000, and as of this writing right now, they're just over halfway there. Mind you, that's after ONE WEEK. 7 days. They've averaged raising over $10,000 through either just straight up donations through the GoFundMe or apparel purchases through The Winter Fund, where you can snag a neat looking sweatshirt, t-shirt, or even a ladies' cropped sweatshirt.

And here's how you know Mike Shaw is an extra solid human being. The goal is $150,000 so every member of his staff can be subsidized through March, right? Well, Mike also pledged that any additional money raised that's over $150,000 -- it won't be pocketed. It won't be put in a rainy day fund. He's going to donate it to other South Boston restaurants like he and his team going through the same situation.

The CBS Boston report notes that this is double tough times right now for Mike and his team (and every other restaurant and their staff, really), because January through March are notorious for being slow times for restaurants in a regular world. Add a pandemic, restaurant capacity restrictions, and the inability to supply outdoor dining (that won't continue in Southie until April 1) into the mix, and it's just nearly impossible to make it through.

That's why Mike is looking out for his staff and also other Southie restaurants at the same time. THAT is how you show your staff that you love and appreciate them. And you can tell that it means a lot to the staff both to have the support of their boss, but also the support of the entire Southie community, based on this video about The Winter Fund.

I've said it once, I'll say it a ton more until we don't have to deal with this anymore -- COVID can't break the New England spirit, and NO ONE looks out for their own like New Englanders.