Local Restaurants Band Together for Cultural Vibrancy

When Meeru Dhalwala, co-owner of Vij’s, was faced with drastically tanking sales, even at Vij’s, one of the restaurants with the hardest seats to nail in the city, she racked her brain for “pivots” and had a vivid memory of how hard it was for her parents in the winter of 1969 when they first moved from Delhi to Washington, DC. They didn’t have the resources to dine out in local restaurants, nor the experience with different cuisines and menus.

Dhalwala sits on the board of MOSAIC, a BC organization that helps newcomers build their lives and settle into Canadian society and she suddenly realized that she could help ease the pent-up stress of new immigrant families and help us restaurants gain some revenues all at the same time.

The MOSAIC + local restaurant project was created to help restaurants stay afloat through winter of Covid 19 by sharing the fun and adventure of their cuisines with new immigrant/refugee families. Dhalwala recruited four other local restaurants along with Vij’s who share the same ethics and place the same importance on staff well-being as her own and are also led by women in various capacities.  They are all now selling gift certificates dedicated to MOSAIC families.  People can choose their preferred restaurant(s) and lend a hand to our local restaurant scene and welcome new families all at the same time.

Vij’s (www.vijs.ca)
Ubuntu (www.ubuntucanteen.ca)
Burdock and Co/Community Harvest (burdockandco.com)
Autostrada (www.autotradahospitality.ca)
Acorn (theacornrestaurant.ca)

“We care about the cultural vibrancy of our city and connecting our creative businesses with our world—from sustainable/regenerative agriculture to equality for all peoples. And now we want to connect our cuisines with new families who can’t afford to dine out or do take-out/delivery but would LOVE a break from all the hardships of settling into a new country (in winter!) in the midst of a pandemic.” Dhalwala stressed.

“We restaurant owners need to increase our sales to get through this and we want some new families or couples to have some fun and get a taste of what Vancouver dining has to offer—enjoy an evening that goes beyond their basic needs.”

Imagine the first time you dined at a restaurant in a new country or even a new city, especially if you were unfamiliar with the cuisine. Can you help make this happen for newcomers to Vancouver who don’t have any disposable income?

To support your restaurant(s) of choice, please go to their website (all links above) and click the MOSAIC gift certificate option. If you want to donate directly to MOSAIC to support their programs for children and families, youth, and seniors, visit www.mosaicbc.org.