Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli has launched a new video project in collaboration with Windsor local Guy Fieri to help highlight Windsor restaurants that are open for takeout, curbside or delivery service during the shelter-in-place order.
The series, named “Meals with the Mayor(s)” features Foppoli and Fieri in discussion with owners of local restaurants. The pair, deemed the mayors of Windsor and “Flavortown,” respectively, take turns asking the restaurateurs questions about their menus and how they’re operating during the order. Foppoli also highlights one of the dishes from the restaurant being discussed.
“My initial concern when this (the pandemic and shelter-in-place order) was happening was that I didn’t want us to come out of this situation, however long it was, with a bunch of our family-owned small businesses out of business,” Foppoli said. “I tried to figure out a way right off the bat to draw some positive attention to get the community to support them during this unique, challenging time.”
Originally he began filming his own series of videos highlighting local essential businesses.
“Initially it was something that I was just going to do on my own, with my own resources, my own Facebook page, and then I started getting support from some volunteers through the chamber and even some of my colleagues to help get the word out,” he said.
After a while, he decided to reach out to Fieri to ask how he could support Fieri’s Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, which has raised millions of dollars for restaurant workers nationwide. The conversation shifted, however, to collaborating on this project.
Foppoli said that Fieri’s wife had seen his video series and was a fan.
“I think we all kind of imagine that restaurants can survive anything and I was one of those people as well. We’ve been through the good, the bad and the ugly, but this pandemic, this quarantine has definitely slowed things down to a halt,” Fieri said in the series’ introductory video, explaining the relief fund.
While Fieri has lived in Sonoma County for over 20 years, he moved up to Windsor in August 2019.
“The town of Windsor is such an amazing place,” Fieri said.
“I think a lot of people, if it’s not in their normal circle of how they were living their life before the pandemic, don’t really know what’s going on,” he continued. “So, to highlight the restaurants that are available for takeout and delivery, and what they’re featuring, is genius.”
The first video featured JC Adams and Brad Barmore from KIN, and subsequent videos have highlighted businesses such as El Gallo Negro, Tisza Bistro and others.
“We’ve been going at a whirlwind pace,” said Foppoli. “We’ve actually filmed 25 episodes already, featuring the food and beverage businesses that are open in Windsor for curbside. We’re looking at doing another round of them.”
The pair plans to release one every day for about the next three weeks on Foppoli’s “Dominic Foppoli, Mayor of Windsor” Facebook page.
“They run the gamut of all of these amazing little family-run businesses that are doing what they can to be successful,” he said.
