Stir Market closed shop early yesterday evening to play host to a charitable cause with a similar aim, feeding people. This new upscale market/restaurant on 7475 Beverly Boulevard celebrated the success of Cheeky, whose debut line of colorfully designed paper and plastic tableware has caused quite a — forgive me — stir.
The company, in partnership with Feeding America, has since its November 2014 launch, donated 1 million meals to hungry Americans. The brand, sold exclusively at Target, donates a meal with every purchase and is on track to donate 10 million meals in its first year, alone.
In a recent interview, Cheeky CEO P.J. Brice announced that he believes the company will surpass that benchmark of 10 million meals.
“I am excited that people everywhere are truly connecting with our product and are getting behind our incredible cause. We are off to a strong start … but we can’t stop here,” he said. “We hope to play an integral role in ending hunger in America for good, and this is just the beginning.”
The USDA reports that one in every six Americans go hungry. That equates to about 49 million of our fellow citizens. Meanwhile, in an effort to combat that tragedy, 2 million people volunteer every month with the Feeding America network, which operates 200 food banks domestically.
“Hunger exists in literally every county in America,” says Feeding America CEO Bob Aiken. “It’s an urban problem, it’s a suburban problem and it’s a rural problem.”
Cheeky named Alli Sosna of Microgreens its monthly Hunger Hero for the month of January for her work in the D.C. school system. Sosna teaches low-income families to make healthy choices, learn cooking basics and stretch ingredients in order to create the most meals possible.
Stir Market is a fabulous place for take-out or dining outside. Reminiscent of a larger Dean & Deluca in DC and NYC, this hip market offers everything you could want, from a rotisserie chicken section, a pastry aisle, fresh juices, healthy gourmet salads and sandwiches made fresh, an espresso bar, a wide array of cheeses, specialty sauces and seasoning, and a whole lot more. This clean sprawling marketplace is a win-win, and we hear the brunch is a hit!
Scott Bridges is an L.A.-based journalist who has worked as a police-beat reporter, a community newspaper editor, and a food and travel writer. He currently works as a freelance writer, contributing to The Huffington Post and Bizjournals.com, among other sites. He is a native Californian who lives on the Westside.
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