Fort Worth nonprofit Taste Project plans Arlington expansion
ARLINGTON (CBSNewsTexas.com) -- The non-profit Taste Project's mission is to provide meals in Fort Worth to those who need them, with the help of faith. It runs a pay-what-you-can community restaurant on South Main Street in Fort Worth, near JPS Hospital. Diners can pay as little as penny, or as much as they feel they are able to.
The Taste Project started in 2017 and since then has served over 150,000 people.
Soon their service will expand into Arlington, with a location opening on Cooper Street just south of Division Street, near downtown and the UT Arlington campus.
Taste Project's executive director Jeff Williams told CBS News Texas that need continues to grow, and they are now serving more than 1,000 people a week.
Williams grew up food-insecure and says wanted to make it his mission to help those who are struggling in the community. He says 9 out of 10 household that are food insecure have working adults, and many times you cannot tell from looking at someone.
"I think a big misconception for people is who is food insecure. I think everybody thinks its limited to homeless or severe poverty but it's really not," he said.
In Tarrant County, 13% of the population is considered food-insecure, according to Williams.
According to the 2020-2024 HUD Consolidated Plan for Arlington, low and moderate-income individuals and households typically do not have regular access to healthy food because they lack adequate transportation and affordable healthy food choices.
"Arlington is the second largest city in Tarrant County, and it's larger than most other county seats," Williams said. "We started looking at the demographics ... and found out Arlington had food deserts. There was a need population, there was a similar demographic area to where we are located in Fort Worth."
The new Taste Project restaurant is in partnership with the City of Arlington, which will provide a 10-year-lease for a city-owned building.
Like the Fort Worth location, there are no prices on the menu and no judgement in the restaurant. Most of the staff are volunteers, and do not accept tips.
In addition, Taste Project holds culinary classes and job training programs, and there is a garden in the back where they grow food and teach others.
Clayton Ketcherside has been a customer for two years and said the restaurant has been helpful in his life. "There's a lot of good people here I like being around there people," he said.
The Taste Project is able to survive through donations and the generosity of the community. To learn more, visit tasteproject.org.