LONG-AWAITED PHILANTHROPIC RESTAURANT ROOSTER SOUP CO. TO OPEN JANUARY 23

January 18, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Rooster Soup Co.
Contact: media@roostersoupcompany.com

Philadelphia, Pa. – When Rooster Soup Co. (“Rooster Soup”) opens on January 23rd, it will become the first for-profit restaurant of its kind to donate 100% of its profits to a non-profit organization.

A partnership between Philadelphia’s legendary fried chicken-and-donuts purveyor, Federal Donuts, and Broad Street Ministry’s Hospitality Collaborative, Rooster Soup will be an all-day luncheonette with a special mission: to prove that when the interests of for-profit companies and philanthropic organizations are united in addressing common problems, real social change can happen.

The restaurant will extend Federal Donuts’ imaginatively delicious impact on Philadelphia’s food scene while also creating a sustainable funding source for BSM’s Hospitality Collaborative. The Hospitality Collaborative provides meals and essential services to those experiencing homelessness and food insecurity in Philadelphia, the poorest large city in America.

Rooster Soup is located at 1526 Sansom Street at the intersection of Philadelphia’s political, economic, and cultural hubs, affording people from all walks of life the opportunity to make a tangible impact on the lives of their struggling neighbors just by eating lunch.

What’s more: Rooster Soup’s diner-inspired menu will be anchored by soups made from the backs and bones of Federal Donuts’ chickens — over 700 each week – which transforms food waste into profits flowing directly to Philadelphia’s most vulnerable citizens.

“We often take hospitality for granted and yet many of our fellow citizens virtually never experience this fundamental human interaction,” said Steven Cook, a Federal Donuts partner.

Broad Street Ministry Hospitality Collaborative founder, Rev. Bill Golderer, elaborates: “This restaurant and this partnership demonstrates the transformative power of hospitality; It is a radical concept that unleashes new and creative solutions to our most intractable social problems. Patrons can change our city and change lives by becoming a Rooster customer.”

The menu at Rooster Soup will be anchored by Chef Erin O’Shea’s expert southern-inspired, homestyle cooking, which begins at breakfast (8am to 11am) with her magical Egg and Cheese Biscuit ($6); Cornbread and Sausage Waffles ($8); and Sticky Bun ($5) to accompany bottomless cups of coffee.

After transforming Federal Donuts’ spare chicken into nourishing broth, Rooster Soup will give special emphasis to a variety of soups ($4 cup, $7 bowl), including Matzo Ball; Beef & Vegetable; Mushroom Barley; and vegan Roasted Cauliflower. For the ultimate in soul and belly-warming power and a cornerstone of the menu, the Yemenite Chicken Pot Pie ($11), is an “American cousin” of Rooster Soup’s sister-restaurant Zahav’s Yemenite Chicken Soup.

And because what’s better with soup than a sandwich (especially when served on house-made challah bread with salt & vinegar chips), the menu will offer a Soup and Sandwich Combo or a Soup and Salad Combo (for you health nuts) for just $13. Sandwiches will include Chef’s favorite Patty Melt with Jarlsberg, Mushrooms, Onions and Everything Sauce ($11); and a nod to Rooster’s Jewish deli roots with the Bacon, Latke and Tomato with Chive Mayo ($10).

And no diner is complete without a blue-plate special. From 4pm to 8pm every night, Chef O’Shea will be serving up a rotating selection of some of her favorite comfort classics, like Trout Amandine ($16); Steak Frites ($19); and Beef Stew ($17).

Visit roostersoupcompany.com for more information and to join the news mailing list, and follow us at twitter.com/roostersoupco, facebook.com/roostersoupcompany, and instagram.com/roostersoupco for updates and sneak peeks. Contact us directly at info@roostersoupcompany.com or visit us at 1526 Sansom Street in Philadelphia.

About Broad Street Ministry
In 2005, Rev. Bill Golderer together with other committed dreamers, breathed new life into an abandoned church building along one of Center City Philadelphia’s most vibrant corridors. Broad Street Ministry began as a broad-minded faith community and over time expanded into an organization that holistically addresses the challenges facing Philadelphians living in deep poverty. At the core of BSM is a commitment to extending radical hospitality to all who wish a better life and a more just world. BSM’s Hospitality Collaborative incorporates stabilizing services that not only meet basic human needs, but also helps people move forward. Along with nutritious meals, guests can benefit from a mailing address, change of clothes, and personal care items. BSM collaborates with other best-in-class nonprofit organizations to offer medical and behavioral health care, legal assistance, and assistance with housing, public benefits, and personal identification.

In 2016, BSM’s Hospitality Collaborative welcomed over 100,000 guests and provided over 76,000 professionally prepared meals in a manner that turns away no one, emphasizes human dignity, and enables people to live fuller lives. To learn more about BSM’s Hospitality Collaborative, visit broadstreethospitality.org.

About Federal Donuts
Restaurateurs Steve Cook and Michael Solomonov (Zahav, Dizengoff, Abe Fisher), coffee geeks Tom Henneman and Bob Logue (Bodhi Coffee) and writer Felicia D’Ambrosio opened the first Federal Donuts in October of 2011. Serving only coffee, donuts and fried chicken, Federal Donuts quickly earned notice from press, including The New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells, who called the cake donuts “world-class.” Federal Donuts has appeared on ABC’s The Chew and Good Morning America, VH1’s Big Morning Buzz Live, Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, and Food Network’s Top 5 Restaurants: Fried Chicken. Print accolades include The New York Times, “T” Magazine, USA Today, Bon Appetit, and Saveur, which selected the Spicy PB&J donut as one of the Top 50 Donuts in America. To learn more visit us at federaldonuts.com.

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