How Andrew Zimmern Is Helping Secure the Future of the Restaurant Industry

The celebrated, globe-trotting chef dishes on his recent restaurant support initiatives and shares his predictions of what the food service industry will look like in a post-pandemic world.

By Luca Piacentini1851 Franchise Managing Editor

Updated 9:09AM • 06/01/21

Andrew Zimmern is one of the biggest names in food, and he isn’t letting his position go to waste.

The Emmy-award-winning TV personality and chef is known around the world as a lover of visiting unique restaurants, meeting new people and eating exotic food — the kind of lifestyle that has been perhaps permanently disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this regard, he could have been discouraged about the future of the restaurant industry, which has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic. But Zimmern, a self-described “eternal optimist,” didn’t give up. Instead, he got to work.

Over the past year, Zimmern has been supporting independent business owners as a co-founder of the International Restaurant Coalition, a COVID-19 support initiative for restaurant owners. He also partnered with Giving Kitchen, the hospitality worker support group.

Currently, fans will find him on a new show on the Magnolia Network, Family Dinner, where Zimmern sits down in dining rooms and backyard barbecues with strangers who tell their stories and share their food.

Zimmern spoke with 1851 Franchise to discuss his predictions for the future of the restaurant industry, share his insight on how local governments can help small businesses through legislation and encourage food lovers to support their favorite restaurants.

Watch the full interview above.