Immigration Policy on the Menu in DC Restaurants
Host Billy Shore talks with Chef Erik Bruner‑Yang (Maketto, Ours at Manifest) and Immigrant Food co-founder Peter Schechter about immigratio...
About This Episode
Host Billy Shore talks with Chef Erik Bruner‑Yang (Maketto, Ours at Manifest) and Immigrant Food co-founder Peter Schechter about immigration enforcement, ICE checkpoints, and what that means for D.C. restaurants and workers. They explain how they use know-your-rights training, ICE location group chats, and Uber rides for staff. Gastro‑advocacy tools, like Immigrant Food’s weekly Engagement Menu, are deployed to keep people safe and engaged. Listeners hear how local action, focused on a 20‑block radius, can rebuild community, support immigrant staff, and keep restaurants alive in a very uncertain time.Resources and Mentions:
Peter Schecter
Co-founder
Peter Schechter is the co‑founder of Immigrant Food, a social‑enterprise restaurant group that “celebrates, educates and advocates” for immigrants through a fusion menu and robust advocacy programs, including a weekly “engagement menu” and events on immigration issues. He has had parallel careers as a foreign policy expert and political strategist, previously serving at the Atlantic Council and teaching at institutions such as Ben‑Gurion University and George Washington University. Schechter is also an early investor in José Andrés’ restaurant group and co‑host of the global affairs podcast Altamar, bringing together his backgrounds in politics, policy, and hospitality.
Erik Bruner-Yang
Chef/Owner
Chef Erik Bruner‑Yang is a Washington, D.C.–based restaurateur known for Maketto and his new full‑service restaurant Ours, part of the Manifest concept that blends a barbershop, retail, cocktail bar, and dining. Born in Taiwan and raised in the United States, he has spent roughly two decades cooking in D.C. and is widely recognized for community‑driven work, including his Power of 10 initiative that provides meals and grocery boxes across the city’s wards. Bruner‑Yang is also deeply involved with Share Our Strength, chairing its flagship No Kid Hungry gala and serving as a visible advocate for immigrant workers and neighborhood‑based change.
Maketto
Maketto is a 6,000 sqft communal marketplace located in Washington DC, combining retail, restaurant, bar, and cafe experiences. The space features a modern/minimal attitude and includes a mix of two buildings, a courtyard, a roof deck, and a catwalk connecting the different spaces together.
Immigrant Food
Immigrant Food is a fast-casual restaurant located at 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. It was founded by chef Enrique Limardo, Téa Ivanovic, Peter Schechter, and Ezequiel Vázquez-Ger, and opened on November 12, 2019. Located near the White House, the restaurant combines its food offerings with pro-immigrant activism. The restaurant engages in what they refer to as gastroadvocacy, accepting donations and signing up volunteers, as well as working as a hub for non-profits to host events helping immigrants find jobs and learn English.
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