Ready in a Moment’s Notice

In 2011, tornadoes ripped through the southeastern United States. In 2012, there were 19 tropical storms and hurricanes, five of them having a direct impact on the U.S. In these two years alone, natural disasters claimed more than 340 lives, caused $80 billion in damages and destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes. But even in times of disaster, some comfort can be found.

In fact, Piccadilly Emergency Services was born in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the organization’s sole mission to provide homestyle meals following natural disasters or other emergencies. An offshoot of Piccadilly Restaurants, Piccadilly Emergency Services has utilized its extensive knowledge in the food industry to create a methodology that provides quality meals during and following a disaster. They’ve introduced the Emergency Kitchen, a unique cooking and heating device that can provide thousands of meals in an extremely short amount of time. Even the staging area alone is an impressive operation, consisting of trucks, generators, tents and their custom-built Emergency Kitchen mobile unit. The entire operation is able to prep, cook and serve 100,000 meals within 24 hours.

“Disasters happen without notice,” says Chris Sanchez, Chief Operating Officer for Piccadilly Restaurants, LLC. “We are ready to quickly mobilize our operation to meet the needs of those affected by disasters.”

Piccadilly and its team members understand the emotional toll a disaster can have on a community. After Hurricane Katrina, Piccadilly team members’ homes were ravaged. However, they put their own lives on hold to help others, and they have done that same thing for the past eight years. They know exactly what natural disaster victims are feeling because they have experienced it.

“We are pleased and humbled to provide a service that makes a difference in the lives of others at a difficult time. Those affected are searching for answers and hope,” says Sanchez. “We ensure they at least enjoy a quality hot meal and hopefully regain a sense of normalcy.”

Sanchez lived in Miami during Hurricane Andrew. The mission of Piccadilly Emergency Services is personal to him. He and his family rode out the storm at a Piccadilly restaurant and returned to their home two days later to find it destroyed. He sees Piccadilly Emergency Services as an opportunity to give back to those who have lost everything.

With beginnings in the restaurant business, serving people just comes naturally. In 1944, T. H. Hamilton founded the first Piccadilly cafeteria in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Today, they have over 65 years of experience in the food service industry with over 60 restaurants, 80 food service locations and a growing reputation for excellence in the emergency services field.

And it’s that history that makes Piccadilly a unique presence in emergency relief. That, and their Emergency Kitchen. Either way, Piccadilly is always ready for whatever happens next. For more information, please visit www.piccadilly.com/emergency-services.