NEW YORK – Sanctuary Restaurants, a joint project of ROC United and Presente.org, has announced that it has surpassed 300 restaurants nationwide. Sanctuary Restaurants, an affirming project designed to welcome all, is not a legal distinction. Rather, it is a symbolic overture to restaurant workers, employers, and customers who seek a safe place. Furthermore, Sanctuary Restaurants state:
We stand by restaurant workers, owners, and consumers and respect their dignity, human rights, and contributions to our industry and our nation – including immigrants, refugees, people of all genders, faiths, races, abilities, and sexual orientations. We have zero tolerance for sexism, racism, and xenophobia. We believe that there is a place at the table for everyone. Sanctuary Restaurants is a joint project of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United and Presente.org with the participation of thousands of workers, diners, and allies nationwide. Note: Sanctuary Restaurants is not a legal designation. We offer support and resources to workers, restaurants, and consumers to help create the inclusive and equitable world we want to see.
Sanctuary Restaurants tenets are:
- We believe that diversity makes us stronger; there is a place at the table of everyone,
- We are committed to creating affirming and safe environments in our restaurants for all,
- We proudly comply with all laws,
- We proudly welcome the public into our affirming spaces by prominently displaying the “SANCTUARY RESTAURANTS: A Place At the Table for Everyone” sign or decal,
- We pledge to support each other and to workers, customers, and restaurant owners by joining this peer network, and,
- We stand with diverse communities to help protect their liberties, dignities, and freedoms
“In full partnership with Presente.org and ROC United, now over 300 Sanctuary Restaurants stand as hate-and-discrimination free centers of community. While the restaurant industry suffers from a labor shortage, and as anti-immigrant rhetoric grows, Sanctuary Restaurants stand for the egalitarian ideals of this nation, for upholding the dignity of restaurant workers, for responding to everyone with welcoming arms, and for recognizing the lifeblood of the restaurant industry — immigrants, women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, people of all faiths, and others,” says ROC United Co-founder and Co-director Saru Jayaraman.
Over 300 restaurants have signed on to be a safe space, with a zero tolerance policy for racism, sexism or xenophobia. Sanctuary Restaurants can be found online at sanctuaryrestaurants.org
