David Chang donates $ 1 million in ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ winnings to struggling restaurateurs

Celebrity chef David Chang is giving the restaurant industry a lifeline.

On Sunday, Momofuku founder and host of Netflix food series “Ugly Delicious” became the first celebrity to win ABC’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” since the game show debuted for its final iteration in 2019. And he’s using his first prize money to help people in the restaurant industry who are struggling for their businesses during the pandemic.

Chef David Chang participates in the Southern Smoke Foundation and wins the Million Dollar Prize for “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”.
(John Fleenor / ABC via Getty Images)

Chang donates his $ 1 million winnings to the Houston-based Southern Smoke Foundation, an organization that provides emergency funds to employees and business owners in the hospitality industry. Since November, the organization has raised $ 178,080, according to its website.

The 43-year-old restaurateur used his last lifeline to phone a friend to get the answer to the trivial million dollar question: “Who was the first president with electricity in the White House?”

Chang chose to call ESPN reporter Mina Kimes for help with the correct answer – President Benjamin Harrison.

YELP AGREES THAT 60% OF CORONAVIRUS-BASED BUSINESS CLOSURES ARE PERMANENT WITH THE HARDEST HIT

“My gambling problem is ultimately paying off. $ 1 million for hospitality workers in need, ”Chang joked in a tweet after the big win.

The restaurant industry has been hit particularly hard due to closures during the pandemic – closures that have forced many restaurants to shut down permanently or to pivot their business models towards take-out or delivery only.

According to Yelp data, as many as 60% of businesses that have closed across the country due to COVID-19 battles are now permanent, according to Yelp data. Indeed, 32,109 restaurants, bars and nightlife venues closed on August 31, with 19,590 closings for good, according to Yelp data.

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President Trump last week urged Congress to pass the next coronavirus stimulus package and help struggling restaurants amid the second wave of COVID-19, which has forced parts of the country to reapply strict social distancing guidelines.