On the surface, EATS Restaurant Eumundi looks like many other bustling restaurants—delivering delicious, wholesome food for the local community. But this inspiring eatery also has something else cooking in the background: a visionary social enterprise changing lives for disadvantaged kids in Peru.
We chat with Gustavo to find out more.
What led you to set up EATS Restaurant Eumundi as a social enterprise?
My business partner and I, Katie Johnston, met salsa dancing; we connected over our shared values of business and wanting to make the world a better place. She has been struggling with making her social enterprise in Nepal work, and I have been frustrated with the cutthroat nature of the hospitality sector.
The name EATS (Empowering All Through Support) came from that desire to help and create change. Through EATS Restaurant Eumundi, we are training and mentoring youth in Peru, providing education resources and microfinancing small business projects – it is the full circle of support for people who are more than capable but just miss guidance, confidence and resources.
What is your connection to Peru?
I grew up in a really poor area with no hope of even getting a basic job. No education, no skills, and not even shoes to go to school. I even had to share an outfit with my brother if we wanted to go play with friends, while the other one stayed at home in underwear.
My strongest memories as a child were meeting people who had walked my path and seeing them become successful. Having hope is everything because where there is hope, there are possibilities; where there are possibilities, there are actions that make dreams come true.
How do you help give kids a better future?
We work with people in remote Peru who don’t have access to anything. First, we are helping the kids with warm clothing and blankets, insulating homes and building greenhouses. Then, a lot of the work is bringing educational resources (pens, paper, books) and mentoring the young people. Introducing them to the modern world and training them in basic life and money skills right up to hospitality management is essential for them to access employment. We teach English, too, as we want to open up pathways for participants to come to Australia.
And EATS Restaurant is growing!
Recently, we opened a store in Carindale, Westfield, that has really seen us expand – we are striking what is a really difficult balance between scaling up and helping as many people as we can, but with the help of Mirvac and Westfield, we are making it happen! We are opening in Kawana soon (end of April), so follow us on social media for the launch date and come along to show your support:
@eats.1989
You’ve introduced a ‘kids eat free’ deal too!
Yes! Every Sunday, one adult meal off the all-day breakfast or all-day lunch menu qualifies you for one meal off the kid’s menu at no additional cost. We wanted more people to come into the restaurant on a Sunday, we see it as a locals day – so it gives people a mellow and relaxed child-friendly option. Plus, at the same time, we can hopefully increase our sales so we can help even more. The more we can grow, the more we can give to others.
Where to find EATS Restaurant
- 86 Memorial Drive, Eumundi
- Westfield, Carindale (Ground floor, in front of David Jones & Myer)
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