Capitalizing on Demand for a Worthy Cause

Last week we wrote about San Francisco's Lily Restaurant, which pulled its popular $72 fried rice from the menu in June.

It was too expensive to produce and threatened to change the retaurant's identity.

Now the fried rice is coming back at $500, with the price bump going to charity.

The first organization to receive donations via crab fried rice will be SF New Deal, a nonprofit that has provided support to small businesses and food-insecure residents during the pandemic. Future proceeds will go to the Rose Pak Memorial Scholarship, which provides college financial aid to Asian American high schoolers in San Francisco, and climate control. [Chef Rob Lam] plans to rotate them out every few months and wants to keep the whole thing going for at least nine months.

I think the reintroduction will be a success. The foodies will be even more excited to post photos that:
1) Show they're able to afford $500 for an exclusive dish;
2) Allow them to signal their virtue as a supporter of worthy causes.

San Francisco's returning to normal.