Rethink Food

Rethink Food Rethink Food is a nonprofit organization on a mission to create a more sustainable and equitable food system. Together, we can rethink food.

Rethink is a not-for-profit that envisions a nourished and thriving world. Our mission is simple: to create a more equitable food system. As 42 million Americans suffer from food insecurity, we believe that access to food is essential to human dignity and our ability to contribute to society. We create practical options to access healthy meals. Our current initiatives include Rethink Certified whe

re we empower restaurants to feed their communities in need using surplus, donated or purchased food, and Rethink Café, our donation-based café where anyone and everyone can come and enjoy a fresh, nutritious meal. Through our programs, we've partnered with over 50 New York City restaurants & dining establishments and nearly 2 million fresh meals have already been served through 75+ community organizations. To learn more about how to become a community-based partner or restaurant, visit us at Rethinkfood.org.

Rethink Food recently hosted a benefit dinner featuring a Maguro Kaitai Shō - the traditional Japanese tuna-cutting cere...
08/14/2026

Rethink Food recently hosted a benefit dinner featuring a Maguro Kaitai Shō - the traditional Japanese tuna-cutting ceremony - with our partner Yama Seafood, IWA Sake, and restaurant Gourmega.

We want to say a massive thank you to Yama Seafood for providing a whole, fresh tuna for the evening - the same they generously donate every week for our community meals, to IWA Sake for pouring their ultra-premium sake, and to Gourmega for their delicious bites and amazing service.

Through this dinner we raised over $6,500, which will provide over 1,300 meals for New Yorkers facing food insecurity - many of which will include the same beautiful tuna!

We are so grateful to our partners and attendees for joining us and supporting our model. Whether it’s a weekly distribution or a one-time benefit dinner, we are surrounded by restaurants and suppliers who always share what they do best so more of our neighbors can eat well.

📸 clay williams

Fresh produce. Hot meals. Community care. 🥕🍽️Join APNA Community Services every Friday for our Free Farm Fresh Produce D...
08/06/2026

Fresh produce. Hot meals. Community care. 🥕🍽️

Join APNA Community Services every Friday for our Free Farm Fresh Produce Distribution, in addition to our Hot Meal Distribution, helping ensure families have access to fresh, nutritious food each week.

Through our partnership with Rethink Food, community members can receive farm fresh produce, while hot halal meals are provided through our dedicated meal distribution partner.

📅 Every Friday: August 7 – October 31
🕑 2:00 PM
📍 2033–2035 Bath Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11214

No prior registration is required. Distribution is first come, first served while supplies last.

Together, we’re expanding access to healthy food and strengthening our community one meal at a time. We look forward to seeing you every Friday!

07/31/2026

Target’s SoHo store recently began lower level renovations, and Rethink Food was grateful to partner with Target to rescue quality ingredients and products to give back to New Yorkers experiencing food insecurity!

Thanks to this food rescue, our in-house Sustainable Community Kitchen was already able to prepare 800 hot, nutritious meals for our community, and share 500 non-food products with community-based organization partners across the five boroughs so they could distribute them directly to neighbors in need.

Target’s in-kind food donation to Rethink Food, valued at over $75,000, is part of its ongoing commitment to strengthening the communities it serves, which will go towards supporting our efforts to reduce unnecessary food waste and expand access to nutritious food across New York City.

Every meal that comes out of this partnership is proof that no good food has to go to waste, and no neighbor has to go without.

07/29/2026

A hot, dignified meal leads to higher GPAs, stronger retention, and better graduation rates. For students juggling jobs, kids, and long commutes - coming from neighborhoods that, too, have few nutritious food options - a meal is the difference between trying to make it through class and showing up ready to succeed.

This is what we’re seeing through our partnership with LaGuardia Community College and LaGuardia CARES. When students don’t have to choose between eating and paying for other essentials, they can focus on what they came to campus to do. Our hot, chef-prepared meals are helping students stay nourished, stay in class, and stay on track toward their degree.

We know this model works, and we know LaGuardia Community College and other CUNY campuses also need it - but we need more partners, funding, and community support to scale this.

If you’re a school seeing the same need on your campus, reach out so we can figure out how we can support you. And if you want to learn more about our work and how you can get involved, visit rethinkfood.org/get-involved.

07/27/2026

LaGuardia Community College students are working hard to invest in their futures, but many are actively battling food insecurity - often quietly, and while balancing far more than a typical college student's course load.

The college’s on-campus student support program, LaGuardia CARES, has long stepped in to help solve this problem by offering non-academic, emergency assistance through its campus food pantry, which gives students access to non-perishable and perishable grocery items.

Rethink Food has been working with LaGuardia for the last 2 years, providing meals and nonperishable products for students in the pantry, but when we heard about the specific needs of students enrolled in the summer evening adult and continuing education courses we knew we had to get involved asap. Because of LaGuardia's geographic location and summer class schedules, evening students often lack reliable, nutritious dinner options. So this summer, we launched a new pilot to help close that gap, partnering with our longtime restaurant partner Brain Food to bring hot, chef-prepared evening meals directly to those students.

No one should have to choose between finishing their degree and being able to eat. And we hope this is just the beginning — our goal is to grow this pilot into a full-time program, so we can keep meeting the needs of every student who walks through LaGuardia's doors.

🎥 Calli Westra

07/24/2026

Our Rethink Food Bowl at Just Salad is leaving at the end of July!

10% of every bowl, plus any change you round up at checkout, supports our mission of getting nutritious meals to communities facing food insecurity.

Make sure to order it before it’s gone at justsalad.com!

07/01/2026

Introducing the Rethink Food Bowl, created in partnership with Just Salad!

Made with fresh supergreens, basmati rice, braised chicken, crunchy chickpeas, crumbled feta, and homemade lemon basil vinaigrette, this hearty bowl was inspired by the kind of nourishing food we believe everyone deserves.

At Rethink Food, we believe everyone deserves access to nourishing meals made with care. The Rethink Food Bowl brings that belief to life with 37g of protein, fresh vegetables, whole grains, and nutrient-rich ingredients.

10% of every Rethink Food Bowl purchased this month will support Rethink Food’s work to provide nutritious meals to communities facing food insecurity. You can also give back by rounding up your change at checkout.

Order the Rethink Food Bowl at Just Salad locations nationwide throughout July!

06/30/2026

Some of our restaurant partners make meals for Rethink Food before their normal prep begins. Others fit it in between services. Some come in on their day off to do it.

The bottom line is the best way to get restaurants to cook for their community is to make it work with how they already work.

Want to make meals for your community? Reach out at rethinkfood.org.

Join us at Rethink Food for a Maguro Kaitai Shō (マグロ解体ショー), the traditional Japanese art and performance of breaking dow...
06/29/2026

Join us at Rethink Food for a Maguro Kaitai Shō (マグロ解体ショー), the traditional Japanese art and performance of breaking down a whole bluefin tuna, presented by Yama Seafood, New York City’s premier premium quality global seafood purveyor.

Tickets are all inclusive, including an interactive tuna carving with Nobu Yamanashi, President of Yama Seafood; a special feast highlighting the diverse cuts and preparations of tuna; and free flowing sake, seasonal cocktails, and natural wine. All proceeds benefit Rethink Food and provide meals for New Yorkers facing food insecurity.

Space is limited, please reserve your tickets today. If you have any questions, contact Kenneth Monroe at [email protected].

📍 116 W Houston St.
🗓️ Monday, August 3rd
🕰️ 6:30 PM
🎟️ Tickets at the link in bio!

06/19/2026

Trying new food is exciting, but sometimes you just want food that tastes just like home.

Our partners bring the full richness of NYC’s kitchens to the table. Every meal in our network is cooked by a local restaurant that knows the flavors of the community it serves so we can celebrate every culture’s cuisine together.

Want to make meals for your community? Reach out at rethinkfood.org.

🎥 Nick Bouck

Address

116 W Houston Street
New York, NY
10012

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+12123647040

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