Together, we are MORE
A first-of-its-kind coalition of organizations with a shared vision of a restaurant industry that’s thriving, equitable, and enduring.
Our Vision
A restaurant industry that is thriving, equitable, and enduring for workers, operators, employers, and the communities they serve.
Our Mission
MORE’s mission is to reduce silos, drive innovative solutions, and accelerate the collective impact of our member organizations with a focus on advancing economic mobility and workplace protections. As a coalition, we support the goals of our members and provide resources, programming, partnerships, and research, fostering a dynamic community of changemakers.
We Are
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The CHAAD Project
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CHOW
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Drive Change
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Emma's Torch
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Feed the Soul Foundation
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Food Education Fund
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Hot Bread Kitchen
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Independent Restaurant Coalition
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James Beard Foundation
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Latino Restaurant Association
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The LEE Initiative
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Queer Food Foundation
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Regarding Her
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Restaurant Workers Community Foundation (RWCF)
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Safe Bars
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Southern Smoke Foundation
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Women In Hospitality United
Our Story
A special thank you to Padma Lakshmi for her narration, and Borgo, Di an Di, Drive Change, Kokomo and Tacombi for letting us film in their spaces.
Our Theory of Change
Our members are led by innovators developing and implementing solutions and services aimed at industry transformation. For too long, these organizations have been isolated in silos, without the benefit of shared resources and best practices from peers. We are changing that by building a connected, collaborative network across organizations, unlocking new opportunities for shared learning, expanded programming, and creative partnerships.
We believe that by coming together to harness the work already underway we can drive enormous social and economic impact for all our stakeholders - workers, operators, employers, adjacent industries, policy makers, and the communities they serve.
The Big Picture
There is enormous opportunity for change in the restaurant industry. We contribute $700B annually to the U.S. economy and employ 12 million people, making us the second largest private employing industry in the country.
But razor thin margins pressure both operators and frontline workers. In fact, 85% of operators reported lower profitability year-over-year, and workers face insurmountable barriers to economic mobility: only four percent advance to corporate jobs and receive the accompanying wage and experience growth.
The work to solve these issues is happening—but in silos. To build a thriving, equitable, and enduring restaurant industry, we need to work together. Enter MORE.
MORE is a first-of-its-kind coalition uniting changemakers to drive lasting impact, with a focus on advancing economic mobility and workplace protections. By connecting and amplifying the efforts already underway, we can break down barriers, accelerate solutions, and deliver meaningful change.
MORE is built by the industry, for the industry—to realize its full potential. Because together, we are MORE.
Let’s get to work.
The Restaurant Industry by the Numbers
A transformed industry will deliver economic ripple effects on a massive scale:
12MM
US restaurant workers, making this the second largest private employing industry in the country
$700B
Contributed annually to the US economy
500,000
New foodservice jobs added by 2032, a full 10% of all US jobs added over the same period
We see an enormous need, and the opportunity for impact
especially among underserved populations:
85%
Of operators report lower profitability in 2022 vs 2019
6 of 50
States have average restaurant wages that meet the cost of living
Of restaurant workers have high school education or below
vs. 31% for the overall US workforce
55%
25%
Of restaurant employees are Black, Asian, or Hispanic; the industry sits in the top quartile for racial diversity
70%
Of frontline workers want to be promoted within their companies, but only 4% make the leap to corporate
Sources: 1. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023 | 2. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024 | 3. Department of Labor, 2023 | 4. National Restaurant Association, 2022 | 5. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023 | 6. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021 | 7. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 | 8. McKinsey, 2022
Our Impact Areas
MORE exists to connect, amplify, and catalyze the work of our coalition member organizations across the following issue areas:
Advancing Economic Mobility
Enabling economic mobility for workers and owners is essential to a more equitable and resilient restaurant industry – an industry where 55% of workers have a high school education or below vs. 31% for the overall U.S. workforce, and only 6 of 50 states have average wages that meet the cost of living.
Our coalition members support policies, tools, and opportunities that help workers and owners grow, thrive, and build long-term stability by advocating for:
➔ Workforce development + upskilling
➔ Expanded access to capital + financial resources
➔ Wage equity + transparency
➔ Leadership development + mentorship
Advancing Workplace Protections
To build sustainable businesses and careers, operators and employees require stable systems to ensure all workers can show up fully and safely at work. This foundation for success includes the following systems:
➔ Support for working parents + caregivers
➔ Increased mental health awareness + access to care
➔ Sexual violence, harassment, and discrimination education and prevention
➔ Opportunities for historically marginalized voices to come forward safely
➔ Protection for undocumented laborers
“Our communities are separated into silos; they are a collection of institutions and programs operating near one another but not overlapping or touching. This is important to understand because it is this dividedness that makes it so difficult to create a more positive or alternative future—especially in a culture that is much more interested in individuality and independence than in interdependence.
The work is to overcome this fragmentation.”
— Peter Block
Writer, consultant, and community organizer
