The first ever Foodlink Community Café is set to open this month with equipment donated and supplied by Singer Equipment Company.
To help a community that needs it now more than ever, Foodlink will be offering a curated menu of soups, salads and sandwiches in a pay-as-you-can model. After all, the pandemic has left New Yorkers, especially children, hungrier than ever, with less access to soup kitchens and other government subsidized meal plans provided in institutions like public schools.
Foodlink’s mission to feed those in need is rooted deeply in its local community. The new café will employ members of its fellowship to serve guests and even source produce from their community garden.
Singer Equipment Company donated the equipment for Foodlink’s new café in partnership with Wegmans, one of the nonprofit organization’s top donors.
“Singer did such an amazing thing for us. They’re a great partner and understand the work we’re doing,” says Terra Keller, Chief Operating Officer for Foodlink. “To build a relationship where the first interaction is a very large donation that’s making this pilot so possible for us is pretty unheard of. To go from one conversation to the final delivery of our soup kettle, sandwich station, refrigeration and bakery displays is incredible.”
The Federal Industries bakery display was indeed a crucial piece for this specification. With sleek glass windows and staggered shelving, Foodlink will be merchandising its menu and its mission to its guests.
“All of the pieces of equipment we received are really important but during COVID, we wanted to be able to safely display everything that we’re producing,” says Keller. “We also wanted to promote Foodlink and the fellowship.”
By tapping into Singer’s carefully cataloged portfolio of warehouse equipment, their team was able to save important dollars on its opening—and keep that dollar local.
“We’re going into this really conservatively,” says Keller. “It gives us even playing ground to hopefully build a successful long-term model for this program that benefits a lot of the people in the city of Rochester and the surrounding area.”
Mark Woolcock, Executive Vice President at Singer Equipment Company, orchestrated the donation. “It’s always a good feeling when you get to stop and help others. Working with Foodlink was an amazing experience,” says Woolcock.
Woolcock specified a selection of powerhouse equipment from Singer’s robust inventory. With approximately half a million square feet of warehouse space, Foodlink was able to source high quality equipment and build the café of their dreams, giving their mission the momentum needed, not just to get started, but to sustain their operation.
Our team of equipment specialists is trained to specify products that meet clients’ needs, while also supporting a more sustainable supply chain. When unused equipment is returned for minor exterior blemishes, cosmetic damage or simply because it did not fit a specific operator’s needs, our inventory team catalogs the product, stores it safely and keeps it top of mind for future projects. To learn more about equipment inventory ready to ship from Singer Equipment Company, contact us today at marketing@singerequipment.com.
To learn more about Foodlink, visit their website.
