CLEVELAND, Ohio — An all-out effort to boost the hospitality industry while spreading kindness is officially underway.

Restaurants across Northeast Ohio are teaming up with a nonprofit to make it happen.

The initiative comes at a critical time as many downtown businesses process the fallout over the impending Cleveland Browns move to Brook Park.

It’s called “The Kindness Food Network.”

Restaurants across the city will display an orange sticker or placard where customers can scan the QR code, leave a friendly message about the restaurant and overall service, and then encourage others to do the same.

The people behind the Kindness Food Network say it’s about creating an ecosystem that supports each other – no matter what’s going on around us.

Laurie Torres has been in the restaurant business for decades.

She has made Mallorca her home away from home, serving authentic Spanish and Portuguese cuisine and drinks in Cleveland’s Warehouse District to customers from far and wide.

“There’s nothing restaurants do better than kindness. When you go to a restaurant — that’s where you share your woes, you celebrate your life,” Torres said.

Even though it’s Cleveland’s most awarded restaurant, with two walls of awards to back it up, she and countless others can’t help but think about a future without the Cleveland Browns around.

“I was frankly disappointed, just because I feel like not only the loss of revenue, but the idea that at a time after COVID—we’re trying to rebuild our downtowns—that a big team would be leaving the city center,” Torres said.

Torres is now working to shift the momentum and highlight the true heart and soul of Northeast Ohio’s hospitality industry.

She says the food and the incredible people who pour their hearts and souls into it every day are the essence.

Torres gets a little help from her close friends to get the conversation going.

“Let’s show some appreciation to the servers who make the event so special to us,” said Stuart Muszynski, president and CEO of the Values ​​and Action Foundation.

Muszynski’s non-profit organization is behind the long-standing and successful “Kindland Movement”.

“We need to show kindness to our community,” Muszynski said.

Torres and Muszynski co-created the Kindness Food Network.

It consists of more than 60 restaurants in the area.

Every place promises to show it the moment you step foot inside.

“It represents brightness and sunshine. They’ll give them either a pen or a bracelet that will have a little QR code on it. They can scan it, and they can leave friendly messages,” Torres said.

The overall goal is to show kindness, spread kindness and encourage others to support the often challenged and struggling restaurant industry.

Those who provide top-notch service will be rewarded for their efforts at work, and customers will be rewarded as well.

“Participating servers will qualify for gift cards they receive from all participating area restaurants,” Muszynski said.

While the future of the Browns’ big move continues to be a hot topic across town, Torres and Muszynski hope to shed light on a stressful situation.

“Food is love,” Muszynski said.

“It’s a two-way thing, and it’s just ways to share kindness and share messages of kindness,” Torres said.

Torres emphasizes that this is not a restaurant review app or website.

It is based on spreading love and positivity and rewarding those who work so hard.

For more information, click here.