Hobart is pleased to announce the winners of its 125^th Anniversary Celebration Contest—a giveaway of equipment prize packages, plus installation and up to one year of preventive maintenance. Tore Trupiano, owner of Mangia e Bevi in Oceanside, Calif., was the independent restaurant winner. Nicholas Angelakis, owner of Colonial Farms Gourmet Food and Market in Washington Crossing, Pa., won in the independent food retail store category.

Both winners were chosen based on their commitment to local philanthropy and community outreach and will use their new Hobart equipment to further their missions.

“We are honored to be able to support both of these owners and their establishments as they give back to their neighbors and communities,” said Todd Blair, director of marketing at Hobart. “The work they do to feed those in need is nothing short of heroic. We look forward to seeing how our equipment will further enable their philanthropic efforts and outreach.”

After shutting down at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Trupiano and his staff dedicated their time to feeding seniors in the community through a partnership with a local organization, Great Plates Deliver. Early on they were making and packaging 300 to 400 meals daily, seven days a week, and eventually were providing closer to 1,000 meals daily. They continued these efforts even after the mandated restaurant closures were lifted.

“Our kitchen is small, but we want to continue to give to the community. They’ve supported us since my parents opened the business in 1971,” said Trupiano. “This new Hobart equipment will allow us to expand our kitchen space to make Mangia what it should be and give us the chance to continue providing meals to those in need.”

Angelakis and his family-owned market were known to give to the local community and charities, even before the pandemic. During the onset of COVID-19, they wanted to create an outreach program for those in need. As part of that, they packaged dinners on Thanksgiving 2020 to distribute on the streets of North Philadelphia. That winter and into the new year, staff and volunteers packaged meals for food pantries, shelters, rescue missions and schools where foster children attend. In total, from Thanksgiving 2020 to the end of February 2021, Colonial Farms provided approximately 2,300 meals to local organizations. Also in February 2021, Angelakis coordinated the Colonial Farms Souper Bowl. With the help of community co-sponsors, they provided soup to 1400 people in need at shelters and pantries.

“Winning the Hobart equipment package is going to help us do so much more for our community,” said Angelakis. “We can make more cakes, pies and meals for the charities we support: soup kitchens, homeless shelters and more in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. It will introduce efficiencies that we don’t have with our current equipment.”

The Hobart equipment prize packages include a choice of dishwashing and food prep equipment for both Trupiano and Angelakis, with the addition of weighing equipment for Angelakis’s market. Both will make their selection of equipment based on a set retail value established by Hobart.

ABOUT HOBART
At Hobart, an ITW Food Equipment Group brand, people and food are our passion. We believe great food brings people together, and the relationships we share feed our inspiration to be the best we can be for one another. As a food equipment manufacturer and service provider, we’ve been dedicated for more than a century to supporting those who are not only passionate about creating great food but are inspired by the people they serve and come to know on a daily basis. Likewise, it is our mission to provide premium food equipment that foodservice and food retail professionals can trust to work hard and deliver quality, consistent results day in and day out, empowering them to focus on what they love most—creating great food for great people. Backed by our nationwide network of 1,500 factory-trained service technicians, we’re always nearby to install, maintain and service your equipment. Hobart is part of ITW Food Equipment Group LLC (a subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works) and is proud to be an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year since 2008. Explore Hobart by visiting www.hobartcorp.com, by connecting with us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hobartfoodequipment or by contacting your local Hobart representative at 888-4HOBART.

*Featured Image Courtesy: Hobart