Over 1.5 million meals delivered by 37 local restaurants to Newark residents in need.

Newark Working Kitchens, Audible’s nationally recognized Covid-19 crisis response program, has delivered over 1.5 million meals in the last two years, sustaining the local restaurant economy while addressing food insecurity. This proven, scalable model is easily replicated by corporations, governments, and philanthropic organizations. Now we’re taking this nationally acclaimed program to the next level with Newark Working Kitchens Delivers, a lunch delivery service that offers Newark’s amazing range of flavors to returning office employees.

Please join us in supporting Newark small businesses by signing up for NWKD.

From NWK to NWKD

NWK was launched in early April 2020, as Covid-19 shuttered the city’s small businesses, restaurants and office buildings. The goal was to preserve Newark’s hard-won gains so city blocks wouldn’t hollowed out by empty storefronts, by funding area restaurants to cook and deliver nutritious meals to senior, low-income and disabled housing residents, who were struggling to access healthy food during the pandemic. 

Working with City Hall, Newark Public Schools, community organizations and tenants  associations in every ward, NWK identified city residents most in need, reaching more than 10,000 residents across 70 locations since launching. As of October 2022, NWK has delivered over 1.5 million meals while helping to keep the lights on at dozens of our most cherished restaurants, keeping cooks, servers and delivery staff employed.

Read more about Our History.

The next stage of this proven impact model, NWKD harnesses the purchasing power of local employers to sustain and grow area restaurants, while offering an array of food choices to corporate employees and maintaining a critical meal match component for Newark’s most vulnerable residents.

NWKD’s app, powered by Sharebite, allows employees to order lunch from more than a dozen NWK restaurants and can include a company-provided stipend to encourage engagement. For every meal order placed via the app, Sharebite will make a charitable contribution to address food insecurity within Newark, and the program will continue to preserve and create hundreds of jobs for cooks, servers and delivery people. A contactless and turnkey offering, NWKD aims to expand to Newark-based corporations to increase investment in Newark’s restaurant economy.

“Newark Working Kitchens has helped sustain important jobs and small businesses, while providing vital nutritional assistance to underserved communities. This effort has created a successful model to support the tremendous comeback our city is currently undertaking, and I hope to see this effort scaled in New Jersey and nationwide as a way to continue combatting this pandemic's health and economic devastation.”

Senator Cory Booker

We are Newark Working Kitchens Delivers.

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“My wrists are sore, my hands are chafed because my knife skills are improving again. So, that's sort of like the city, we're sharpening our knives again so that when this comes out, we're going to be able to dice anything. None of it would have been possible without the help, support, guidance, and initiative undertaken by Newark Working Kitchens.”

Kai Campbell, The Walla

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“Covid-19 has changed our livelihoods forever.“ — Carole Dubois, Blueprint Café
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“To be providing meals to those in need and be working with purpose has been huge beyond words.” — Luis Valls-Amabile, Fresh Coast
“Newark Working Kitchens (NWK) harnesses the full power of our abilities to combat food insecurity during this extraordinary time of need.” — Marcus Samuelsson, Marcus B&P
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“Newark Working Kitchens has allowed us to show our love for Newark residents.” — Mercato Tomato Pie employee
“We appreciate all the support and feel privileged to serve the Newark community.” — Joe Hafez, The Halal Guys
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“Small businesses are the backbone of Newark’s economy and we’re grateful for the resilience and ingenuity of Newark Working Kitchens (NWK) as it continues to raise funding to employ local Newarkers, help reopen our restaurants and take care of our neighbors during these trying times.”

Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka

Please join us in supporting Newark small businesses by signing up for NWKD. You’ll be providing employees their choice of exciting lunch options, conveniently ordered via app and delivered to their workplace, while building a sustainable financial lifeline for local restaurants.

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