DePauw Alum Supports Chicago’s Restaurants During COVID-19

DePauw University alum Estelle Lozano joined DishRoulette Kitchen (DRK), a Chicago restaurant development center, as the vice president of strategy and development in 2020. Through her work with DRK, Estelle is helping many Chicago restauranteurs build more sustainable and scalable businesses.

DRK supported local independent restaurants that lacked access to capital and resources and struggled during the turbulence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Estelle knew that her expertise in brand and business development in the food and beverage industries could help Chicago-area restauranteurs better establish themselves and improve their longevity in unstable times.

Since joining DRK, Estelle has helped respond to the needs of local restaurants severely impacted by COVID-19. She implemented the DRK Grant Program to fund restaurants historically overlooked by economic relief programs. She worked with restaurants on applying to Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. And she has helped restaurants implement pandemic alterations such as using a takeout model or becoming a brick-and-mortar site.

After working at various roles in the corporate food and beverage industries—from ingredient marketing to working for the Italian Trade Agency on food and beverage imports—Estelle created her own consulting business. In 2017, she worked to support the launch of Healthy Hood Chicago, a nonprofit organization in her home neighborhood of Pilsen that provides health programming and resources to “elevate the mind, body and conscience of underprivileged communities.” It was not until the pandemic hit in early 2020 that Estelle felt called to use her skills and expertise in different ways.

“The pandemic changed everything. Restaurants had new needs, and we had to adapt to match,” Estelle says. “Most of the essential workers were coming from communities of color and didn’t have the resources to keep people safe and survive.”

After meeting her current DRK team through relief and food aid work early in the pandemic, Estelle was eager to join DRK in providing funding and education to restaurants.

“There was minimal investment in local restaurants and businesses and that needed to change to see Chicago’s local economy grow and prosper,” says Estelle.

Estelle hopes to keep microgrants in the hands of local restauranteurs and increase their knowledge of financial practices and sustainability strategies. With DRK, she will continue to encourage investment in Chicago restaurants to help foster inclusive and equitable economic development, job creation, and positive social impact.