Just two weeks after announcing the launch of a pilot feeding program teaming the World Central Kitchen with local restaurant kitchens, the program will expand its ability to feed seniors by adding the restaurant Breakfast Bar to its roster.

“Long Beach is a real success story in World Central Kitchen,” said organizer and pilot program leader Tank Gonzales. “The more love and support we get locally, the more we can continue to expand.”

The program is simple and benefits both those being fed and the restaurants preparing the food. World Central Kitchen funds an entire kitchen staff while also covering food costs. Restaurateurs that had laid off entire staffs were able to welcome back chefs and line cooks while feeding marginalized populations regularly.

The program’s first two restaurants, Lola’s Mexican Cuisine and The Ordinarie, had been serving more than 1,000 meals daily to various Long Beach senior communities, restoring 17 jobs between the two restaurants, according to Gonzales.

“We are kicking some real revenue into the local economy,” he said. “Thanks to an influx of donations locally after the announcement of the program, paired with World Central Kitchen’s funds, the newly expanded program will now serve 6,000 meals weekly. The more donations we get, the more we can expand.”