Matt J​​ozwiak Celebrates 7 Years of Rethink Food and Shares What’s To Come

For New Yorkers craving positive change, Matt Jozwiak and his community-nourishing nonprofit Rethink Food have been powerful humanitarian and sustainability resources. The Big Apple-headquartered organization launched an expanded Sustainable Community Kitchen in Greenwich Village in March and continues to  not only make meals for community-based organizations to distribute to those in need, but also educate and collaborate with neighbors and friends seeking to use excess food to carve out a better future for all.

A Feast for Change: Matt Jozwiak’s Rethink Food Turns 7

Since its inception in 2017, Rethink Food has been transforming hearts and minds with its mission to reduce food waste and use those ingredients to make delectable, culturally relevant meals.

Matt Jozwiak’s journey to forming Rethink Food began in 2015 when he joined the team at the acclaimed Eleven Madison Park restaurant. 

Jozwiak conceived the idea that would become Rethink Food, a mission to transform excess food into nutritious meals for those in need while fostering dignity and community. Chef Daniel Humm became a co-founder of Rethink Food during the pandemic when he turned Eleven Madison Park into a community kitchen to make meals for New Yorkers facing hunger. 

The road hasn’t been without challenges, especially navigating the COVID-19 pandemic’s toll on the restaurant industry. “It took a long time for people to feel comfortable again,” Jozwiak admits.

At the core of Rethink Food’s work lies a profound commitment to uplifting communities through food. The nonprofit’s approach emphasizes dignity, cultural celebration, and nutrition — aspects Jozwiak believes stem from the organization’s hospitality roots.

According to its 2023 impact report, during that year, more than 8.9 million meals were served to New Yorkers in need and over $4,670,000 was directed in all five New York boroughs to small restaurants and food businesses to support building their enterprises and feeding their neighbors.

“The Community Kitchen is the heart of our work,” said Humm.

A prime example is how Rethink Food works with a wide range of food partners from local farms to supermarkets, restaurants, and other food purveyors. Surplus produce is harvested, prepared at Rethink Food’s Sustainable Community Kitchen, and swiftly distributed to communities, ensuring unparalleled freshness. 

In its Sustainable Community Kitchen in Greenwich Village, Rethink Food visitors can gain a better understanding of the work Rethink Food is doing in the community and take a coffee break at the Stumptown Coffee station Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Sustainable practices are woven into Rethink Food’s ethos, exemplified, for example, by its innovative use of cabbage scraps from Eleven Madison Park to create kimchi. “We’re looking at broader forms of preservation and intentional distribution,” Jozwiak explains.

A wide variety of food donations pass through Rethink Food’s kitchen and are typically never the same ingredients.

The organization’s impact continues to swell, with 2023 marking a record-breaking 9.1 million meals distributed — nearly matching Rethink Food’s lifetime total from inception through 2022.

Throughout, strategic partnerships have been pivotal. Jozwiak cites collaborations with Brooklyn’s IV Purpose, which fundraises for Rethink Food, and the South Bronx’s Great Performances catering company.

Significantly, in 2023, more than 91% of Rethink Food’s partners were minority- or women-led businesses. For Jozwiak, amplifying these voices holds profound significance in an industry historically skewed toward male leadership. 

On March 27, Rethink Food celebrated its eponymous day with a celebration at the new kitchen. The occasion encapsulates the resilience and perseverance that have propelled Rethink Food through seven years of success. 

Looking ahead, Jozwiak envisions continued advocacy efforts to meet the burgeoning demand for a more efficient process to handle excess food supply.

Yet amid the milestones and accolades, including ringing the closing bell at Nasdaq, Jozwiak’s motivation remains rooted in human connection and nourishment. “The output of a meal is important,” he reflected, “but the how and why you do it — I think we’re changing the narrative on that quite a bit.”

In the seven years since its humble beginnings, Rethink Food has blossomed into a culinary force for social change, transforming what once was waste into a banquet of hope, dignity, and empowerment — one perfectly plated meal at a time.

Despite the successes, Jozwiak is candid about the challenges ahead. Scaling operations to match the growing need and navigating the complexities of food rescue are perennial issues. Rethink Food actively encourages public involvement through various initiatives, including volunteer opportunities and partnerships with local businesses. Jozwiak believes that everyone has a role to play in reshaping our food systems and makes a compelling call to action for more community involvement.

Rethink Food Reflections and Projections

As Rethink Food celebrates this anniversary, Jozwiak reflects on the journey and looks to the future with hope and determination. 

“We were heavily advocating for small businesses to get involved in the government contracting process and for folks that do large-scale food production to use excess food to help increase the quality of food that’s being directed to low-income individuals,” Matt Jozwiak shares.

In keeping with Rethink Food’s overall mission, he emphasizes his vision for a world where food rescue is a standard practice attainable for all.

Jozwiak’s leadership at Rethink Food has not only changed the landscape of food rescue; it has also demonstrated the powerful impact of innovative thinking in addressing complex social issues. As Rethink Food continues to grow and evolve, its core mission remains clear: to nourish, empower, and sustain communities.

And the new Greenwich Village space is the perfect venue to effect change.

On May 16, it was the backdrop for a meal and conversation on climate change with the Soap Box Project, a movement devoted to taking action on connecting with others about environmental issues. On May 30, Rethink Food partnered with the Ceres Food Film Festival and the Climate Film Festival to host a screening of the award-winning documentary short Grass Farmers. The screening included a discussion on regenerative agriculture with Michael Ray Robinov, co-founder and CEO of Farm To People, and Rethink Food’s culinary director, Ken Baker.

Rethink Food’s Sustainable Community Kitchen also hosted an event with Kathy Cacciola of Google Food to talk about sustainability progress. “Thanks for the invitation to join you all. And thanks to each and every team member for your contributions to an incredible organization!” Cacciola posted on LinkedIn.