Weekly beginning August 5, the folks at APRON Inc. are offering a fun, delicious way to support local restaurants and to help those who serve you.

It’s called “Chef in a Box,” but before we tell you what’s behind the curtain, let’s make sure everyone knows what APRON Inc. does. 

APRON Inc. dates to 2011 and provides financial relief to food and beverage industry workers in the Louisville, Kentucky metropolitan area. By means of donations and fundraisers, APRON awards grants of assistance to applicants in need. It might be a medical crisis, a house fire, or various other emergencies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, APRON Inc. has mobilized to aid more local workers than ever before.

APRON Inc. continues serving those who serve you

“Chef in a Box” is a completely new promotion.

Each week, participating restaurants (see list below) will assemble a reusable bag – the “box” – filled with items like a tasting selection of the restaurant’s specialties, a favorite house dish, a recipe card, a gift card encouraging another visit, or promotional t-shirts, hats and stickers. They’ll quite literally be big grab bags of goodies, priced at $50 each. 

APRON is providing the bags. $25 from each box goes directly to the restaurant to help cover costs, and $25 goes to support APRON Inc.’s outreach. There’ll be only 50 of the $50 boxes/bags each week. 

Participating restaurants promote their spotlight week, and they’ll add a “Chef in a Box” tab to their online ordering portals. Pick-ups take place on Wednesday and Thursday of that week, and customers will be informed of the preferred window (best hours) for pickup. Naturally your questions can be directed to the individual participating establishments. 

As a closing note, “Chef in a Box” is being dedicated to the memory of Dean Corbett, honoring the late chef’s and restaurateur’s lifelong commitment to the local restaurant community and non-profit organizations, and for his role as a founding father of APRON Inc.

Prepare your calendars for scribbling, because here is the “Chef in a Box” list of participants. 

August 5 – Chef Josh Moore of Volare
August 12 – Chef John Varanese of Varanese and River House
August 19 – Chef Allen “Smooth” Hubbard of Martini Italian Bistro
August 26 – Chef Anoosh of Noosh Nosh AND Anoosh Bistro
Sept 2 – Chef Ellen Gill McCarty of Gill on the Go
Sept 9 – Jereme McFarland of Bourbon Bistro
Sept 16 – Chef Andrew McCabe of Bar Vetti
Sept 23 – Chef Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia
Sept 30 – Chef Chris Williams of Four Pegs Beer Lounge
October 7 – Chef Cristian Garay of Lou Lou Food & Drink
October 14 – Susan Hershberg – Wiltshire Pantry
October 21 – Crowler Catering
October 28 – Chad Coulter (owner) of Biscuit Belly St. Matthews
November 4 – Chef Allen Sims – Buck’s Restaurant and Bar
November 11 – Chad Coulter (owner) of Louvino Middletown/Douglass Hills