A strategic coalition of regional restaurants, 501-C-3 Chef Lou’s Army (CLA) has been awarded a $700,000 New Jersey Economic Development (NJEDA) grant to provide healthy, hot meals to residents of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, NJ.

Founded in the early days of the COVID-19 global pandemic, Chef Lou’s Army and its Jersey Shore restaurant partners have collectively deployed nearly 250,000 hot, nutritional meals to front lines essential personnel, U.S. veterans, and families who need it most throughout New Jersey. Generous ongoing personal and corporate donations, CLA fundraising events, and this, for example, second round of NJEDA grant funding continues to drive the growth and success of Chef Lou’s Army.

Founder and Army General Chef Lou Smith stated, “18 months ago, the pandemic affected everyone one of us, every age, every business, every everything. The Army is honored to have been selected for inclusion in this second round of NJEDA funding and we are blessed to be able to continue to give back and feed tens-of-thousands of people who need a hot meal the most. We are excited about this opportunity and The Army is already planning some fantastic things for 2022.”

Effective immediately, Chef Lou’s Army restaurant partners Blend On Main, Four Seasons Diner, Bubbakoo’s Burritos and more actively onboarding are now preparing, delivering, and distributing hundreds of ready-hot, healthy meals to strategic area locations up and down the New Jersey Shore every single week.