LOUISVILLE, KY — Just one day after all Kentucky restaurants were told to shut down dining rooms due to the coronavirus spread, cars were lined up on Magnolia Avenue.

The line started at 610 Magnolia, the Edward Lee-owned restaurant at 610 Magnolia Ave., and led past Central Park.

But those cars weren't full of customers clamoring for a table at the fine dining restaurant. They were full of service industry workers who just lost their jobs, desperate for food and supplies.

The minute Lindsay Ofcacek, 610 Magnolia general manager and The LEE Initiative managing director, heard about the closure, she called Lee, and they launched the Restaurant Workers Relief Program.

The LEE Initiative's partner company, Maker's Mark, granted $5,000 to get the program off the ground. Ofcacek and Lee called the head chefs from Lee's Louisville restaurants — 610 Magnolia's Jeff Potter, Milkwood's Ryan Fuquay and Whiskey Dry's James Garst— to begin cooking hot meals at 610 Magnolia's commissary to hand out. Then six volunteers turned 610 Magnolia's wine cellar private event space into a warehouse for sorting supplies — everything from diapers to cereal and canned goods — into boxes.

"We're doing what we've always done, which is feed people," Ofcacek said. "It just looks different."

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This is not a Louisville problem, Ofcacek said, but a nationwide one. Additional funding from Maker's Mark made it possible to open two more relief centers in Washington, D.C., and Cincinnati two days later. Crowdfunding for The LEE Initiative raised $250,000 within six days.

Now, Restaurant Workers Relief Program centers have been established at 16 restaurants around the country. As of Friday, the program has served more than 53,000 hot meals to service industry workers and their families.

The scene at the Louisville relief program changes day to day. A hand sanitizer dispenser has been duct-taped to a wall. Uniform shirts hang in a closet, and volunteers clad in T-shirts pass supplies to one another to fill up family boxes. Chefs prep takeout boxes with garlic bread and beef stroganoff with homemade noodles.

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"I haven't had time to emotionally process a lot of it," Ofcacek said. "I'll cry randomly when I'm talking to people, usually out of gratitude. It's overwhelming. We went from being a small nonprofit and a fine dining restaurant to opening relief centers. It feels good to not be helpless during this."

Whiskey Dry general manager Mara Brown, now the lead warehouse manager of the Restaurant Workers Relief Program, said the Louisville location feeds about 200 people a day.

"It's been really awesome to see just how many people are willing to help and do whatever they can, whether it's volunteering or donating or sending stuff," Brown said. "But the hardest part is seeing people struggling. We try to stay positive here, but it can be tough."

Many donations have come from people in the community, dropping off small amounts of canned goods or diapers. Other donations came from larger sources: The Restaurant Store sent thousands of to-go containers for meals. Northeast Christian Church dropped off canned goods. Kreation sent cold-pressed juice. Logan's Roadhouse — which recently shut down temporarily — donated its entire kitchen stock.

Potter, who typically leads the kitchen at 610 Magnolia, now works with the other chefs to create hot meals based on whatever supplies they have that week. When Freedom Run Farm donated lamb, they made lamb vindaloo. When another restaurant donated pork shoulder, they made grits and smoked pork shoulder with Brussels sprouts.

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"610 is mainly known for fine dining, but we're not trying to do fine dining," Potter said. "We make something that just ... touches your soul. Earlier in the week we did shepherd's pie and meatloaf. We're doing smoked pork tenderloin tomorrow. We try to hit the main components of veggies, protein and starch. From there, it's creativity."

610 Magnolia does offer a takeout program, with a three-course meal for $40 per person and wine available as an add-on, but the orders have been lower since customers have to pick it up. Some of the proceeds from those meals also fund The LEE Initiative.

Takeout isn't something 610 Magnolia would have considered before. But restaurant workers are resilient, Ofcacek said, and have been trained to pivot quickly and come up with creative solutions on the fly.

That problem solving sits at the heart of The LEE Initiative's mission.

"Three weeks ago that mission was helping more women into leadership," Ofcacek said. "Now it's feeding our family."

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Restaurant Workers Relief Program

WHAT: Dinners and supplies provided to service industry workers. Employees should bring a paycheck stub or proof of restaurant employment.

WHERE: 610 Magnolia, 621 W. Magnolia Ave.

WHEN: Monday to Saturday from 5-7 p.m. unless otherwise notified. Come with a list of needs and a paycheck stub or proof of restaurant employment.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: To support this program, donate at LEEInitiative.org or mail a check made out to "The LEE Initiative" to Lindsey Ofcacek, 610 W. Magnolia Ave., Louisville, KY 40208.

Dahlia Ghabour: 502-582-4497; dghabour@gannett.com; Twitter: @dghabour. Support strong journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe