The countdown just started: RefettoRio Gastromotiva will open soon

After the rewarding experience of the Refettorio Ambrosiano, where Gastromotiva’s team and former students cooked for the homeless of Milan, David Hertz, the founder of the Brazilian organization, had the vision to export the model of the community kitchen overseas. Chefs, designers, financial and technical sponsors answered the call and joined the project.

This will also be an occasion for Food for Soul to expand its vision and act on an international scale. Thanks to the financial support of Pastificio Di Martino, Grundig, San Pellegrino and Pastificio Felicetti and the technical support of Carpigiani and Giblor’s, the organization founded by Massimo Bottura will cross the Italian borders for the very first time and head to Brazil. The synergy between Food for Soul skills and Gastromotiva local knowledge, together with the collaboration of the food journalist Alexandra Forbes,  will demonstrate how fighting food waste and hunger can also be a way of empowering communities through.

RefettoRio Gastromotiva will come to life in a 300m2 space donated by the municipality of Rio de Janeiro in Lapa neighbourhood, the beating heart of the city. Rua de Lapa 108 will host the brand new community kitchen whose building projects have been provided by Metro Architecture studio. The artist Vik Muniz and the designers Humberto and Fernando Campana are already working to make RefettoRio a beautiful, welcoming and inclusive place where the whole community can get inspired. Brazilian and international chefs already answered the call to cook nutritious and tasty meals from the food surplus of the Olympic Village.

RefettoRio derives from reficere in Latin, that means “to remake” or “to restore”. It is also the place where monks used to eat together and share their daily meal. Going back to the essence of the word, RefettoRio Gastromotiva aims to raise awareness on the importance of the full use of food. Restoring food will be as important as restoring the dignity of people.

The construction team is keeping on working to set up the building in time for the event of the Olympics: RefettoRio will be ready to open its doors in August and welcome people in need and in conditions of social vulnerability.

So save the date: RefettoRio is coming soon.
We will keep you constantly updated.