Hollywood's Musso & Frank Grill Launches Their Own Employee Relief Fund

HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA) — Musso & Frank Grill has launched an employee relief fund to help cover health insurance and other living expenses of its employees while the iconic Hollywood restaurant remains shuttered under California's stay at home order.

The Musso & Frank Employee Relief Fund will provide 50% of needed living expenses for the restaurant's furloughed 84 employees.

The fund also provides 50% of the money required to cover ongoing healthcare and medical insurance coverage, according to the restaurant's owners.

The restaurant's owners set up a GoFundMe page after dozens of longtime customers reached out to them asking how to help the restaurant's workers. So far, the fundraiser has raised over $26,000 in donations.

"So many friends, longtime patrons and members of our extended Musso `family' have been reaching out to us without prompting, inquiring as to how they might go about making a charitable contribution to the welfare of our employees," said Mark Echeverria, who is a fourth-generation member of the family of owners.

"We were touched by these acts of generosity, and by knowing that dozens of longtime patrons were willing to demonstrate the support our employees enjoy from the community by making financial donations. We are very proud to be partnered with our community members, truly wonderful folks who have inspired the formation of this new fund."

Hollywood's oldest restaurant, which opened in 1919, temporarily closed on Aug. 1, a few weeks after announcing that it would begin taking to-go orders and offering delivery service.

The eatery was also closed for three months following the March 15 order from Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti banning restaurants and bars from serving food and alcohol, and then open for four days in June before another round of shutdowns.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)