HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!

365 days. 365 posts. Thousands of cafes, bakeries, restaurants, breweries, wineries and counting. One common goal — to unite, inspire and help small and independent businesses from coast to coast communicate and hold fast through a crisis unlike our world has seen in more than a century.

One year ago today, we launched Breaking Bread along with a group of 23 Vancouver restaurants that banded together to begin offering limited-time-only prix-fixe menus before dining rooms around the country were temporarily shuttered.

That solidarity quickly spread from coast to coast via our website, which offered advice on how people could continue to show their support for their favourite local restaurants in ways that included buying gifts cards, ordering take-out, delivery, meal kits and more.

Along the way we’ve partnered with tourism task forces, community organizations and industry support groups to help lift up local and showcase the many innovative ways our members got by, got through and got over.

We were constantly moved to witness firsthand how operators and employees alike banded together to support frontline workers, feed those less fortunate, navigate seismic shifts in the industry and perform pivot after pivot to persevere in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

One year out, vaccines are making the rounds and there is a hint of optimism in the spring air, but we also pause to remember the many businesses, livelihoods — and loved ones — that were lost in the throes of this ongoing pandemic.

A very heartfelt and sincere thank you from all of us here at Breaking Bread HQ to all of you who have been along for this journey from the start, or joined the cause along the way. We pledge to continue to act as a champion for all of you and do everything within our means to help with this recovery process as we look for a return to the ‘old normal’.

Keep standing tall. Staying strong. Showing love. Supporting local.