Good Work Austin is building a stronger, more equitable local food system by investing in the people who power it.

Founded in 2019 by Austin restaurant owners during the COVID-19 pandemic, Good Work Austin began as a coalition committed to helping independent restaurants recover while advocating for better workplace practices across the hospitality industry. Today, we are a nonprofit organization that supports both food workers and the businesses that employ them, creating pathways to healthier careers, stronger businesses, and a more resilient local economy.

We believe that when food workers thrive, our entire community benefits.

Through our programs, we connect food workers with career advancement opportunities, workforce training, healthcare access, and paid employment while helping hospitality businesses adopt practices that strengthen their teams and improve retention. We also reinvest millions of dollars into local restaurants through our Community Kitchen initiative, creating living wage jobs while providing nutritious meals to neighbors experiencing food insecurity.

Our work is rooted in the belief that good jobs create good communities. By bringing together employers, workers, public agencies, and community partners, we are building a hospitality industry where opportunity, dignity, and economic mobility are accessible to everyone.

Whether we're training the next generation of culinary professionals, expanding access to affordable healthcare, advocating for industry-wide change, or strengthening local businesses, our goal remains the same: to ensure Austin's food and beverage industry is a place where everyone can do good work.