Erik Bruner-Yang knows about community-building. And in arguably the worst moment for the restaurant industry, Erik did not focus on simply surviving the pandemic with his restaurants intact; he chose to be expansive in his approach. He looked at what needed doing and dug in. He founded the Power of 10 Initiative by calling investors and raising funds to support both the restaurant industry and those who are food insecure. Funds are donated to restaurants to keep their employees employed, and the meals they turn out are then donated to those in need. He told the Washingtonian, “A lot of people were just trying to figure out how they were going to save their businesses. But what if the only thing left standing where I live was just my business? It was really about keeping our community intact.” He founded Toki Underground in 2011 and has since opened Maketto, ABC Pony, and Yoko & Kota at The Roost DC.
