Princeton Restaurant Helps Community Fight Food Insecurity

PRINCETON, NJ — Amar Gautam and wife Amanda Maher were looking for a change in pace when they moved from Manhattan to Princeton two years ago. The couple then ventured into Princeton’s dining industry with their restaurant, The Meeting House.

It was a massive project to undertake – the restaurant has two floors, 60 seats and a private event space. With Maher working on the décor and design, and Gautam taking care of the rest, the couple were able to officially open in January this year. The restaurant was quick to receive acclaim from New Jersey Monthly.

“By the end of February, things were going great. Much sooner than we anticipated. We were really busy, we were getting good feedback. And then the pandemic hit,” said Gautam.

When COVID-19 forced them to shut down, Gautam found the restaurant freezers filled with food. He then decided to call Share My Meals — a non-profit organization that distributes surplus meals from restaurants to food insecure community members.

Gautam had met the founder of Share My Meals, Isabelle Lambotte, at his restaurant, where she had gone to attend a meeting for Princeton Restaurant Week.

“We reached out to Isabel and said ‘look, we have all this food, how can we help.’ We quickly went from a new restaurant to almost functioning as a food bank. And it wasn't by design, and it wasn't by choice, but it turned out to be a really rewarding relationship,” said Gautam.

Through his experience of working with Share My Meals, Gautam discovered there were more hungry families in the Princeton-area than he were aware of. The experience helped the couple get a better understanding of their surroundings and become an important part of the community.

But as the pandemic raged on, the business took a hard hit. In order to survive, the restaurant pivoted to the 'takeout model'. Within weeks they changed their menu, partnered with a tech company to create a seamless ordering process and transformed into a takeout restaurant.

“When you're losing money every week, you quickly figure out how to lose less money. It (the pandemic) forced us to become savvier restaurant operators,” said Gautam.

Although the restaurant was able to secure a COVID relief grant from the state, the money ran out in August and since September, they have been paying for expenses out-of-pocket. Meanwhile, the new indoor dining capacity at 25 percent hasn’t helped either, as the margins are not enough to break even.

“With the pandemic spiking, people are fearful to eat inside. And the weather is getting colder. So, we're also losing the revenue from outdoor dining. It’s a double hit,” he said.

Gautam predicts a few bleak months ahead for the restaurant industry. But he has decided to dig in his heels. “I've got a long-term lease. If that wasn't the case, financially, it would make a lot of sense to walk away.”

Gautam and Maher have decided to stick on because of the community.

“All these things that we've done through the pandemic – with Share My Meals, with forging relationships with the community, gaining loyal customers - I would almost have this sense of guilt of walking away and giving up the fight,” said Gautam.

Despite the losses, the restaurant continues to serve those in need. When the recent nor'easter forced businesses to shut down, the three cooks still went in to cook for Share My Meals.

With the COVID-19 vaccine already rolling out across the state, Gautam hopes that by fall 2021, things would be back to "normal and thriving."

“We are in this for the long haul. And we will continue to help people as long as we have the restaurant,” he said.

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