As Jack Wright watched Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the news, he asked himself what a small restaurant in South Jersey could do to help alleviate a crisis across the globe.
It didn’t take long for him to settle on an answer.
Wright, the owner of Cape May’s Exit Zero Filling Station, grew up eating Chicken Kyiv in his native Scotland. And so, Exit Zero has added the Ukrainian and Russian stuffed chicken staple to its menu through the month of March. All proceeds from the dish will go directly to Come Back Alive, an organization that provides direct support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Other restaurants and bars across New Jersey are showing support for Ukraine. Wayne Cimorelli, the owner of Spicy Cantina in Seaside Heights, is boycotting Russian-made vodka. Flounder Brewing in Hillsborough, owned by Ukrainians Jeremy and Dan Lees, is continuously collecting money and donating supplies overseas. Icarus Brewing in Lakewood is partnering with Pravda Brewery in Ukraine to raise relief funds.
“If we can help them defend themselves, maybe it could save a couple of lives,” Wright says.
Have you been following the Ukraine conflict closely?
Jack Wright: There is a really big Ukrainian contingent on Etsy and I have purchased multiple things — artwork, etc.–from Ukrainian artists on Etsy in the past. We were purchasing some specialty ceramic drink containers from someone in Ukraine. After watching what has been happening, we had a couple of meetings thinking, “What could a tiny restaurant do to help?” I started emailing the ceramic drink maker and he sent me some ideas for fundraising. He said they are just trying to stay alive over there.
How did your team shape the fundraising?
Back in December, I was saying to our chefs that I wanted to get some old-school dishes on the menu. Chicken Kyiv is something I would eat in the 70s and 80s growing up in Scotland. We didn’t move forward with that, but when the war started, we put Chicken Kyiv on the menu. All proceeds from the dish will be donated to Come Back Alive.
Why did you pick Come Back Alive as the beneficiary?
Come Back Alive directly funds the Ukrainian armed forces. We thought if we could raise money and send it straight to the armed forces, what better way to help Ukraine defend itself? The money donated is also going directly to the armed forces rather than filtered through another organization or something like that. It’s a very practical organization.
New Jersey has a large Ukrainian population. Do Ukrainian diners frequent Exit Zero?
Cape May is a resort town, which can be very reliant on students coming over to work in restaurants and in the hospitality business during the summer. We’ve had Russian and Ukrainian students working in our restaurants, and we had some people that were slated to come over this summer, but we are not expecting to see them. There are Ukrainians who have moved here permanently after working seasonally, so there is a fairly strong Eastern European influence in Cape May—with lots of Ukrainians among them.
Has the Chicken Kyiv proved popular?
It has become probably the second or third most popular dish on the menu. It’s a fried chicken dish with a creamy garlic sauce. We add Parmesan and serve it with thick, sliced potatoes and an onion fritter. It’s very much a comfort food.
How has the fundraising been going?
We’ve been able to donate a couple thousand dollars from the dish. One of our favorite customers came in, ordered the dish and gave us a check for $500 for Come Back Alive. Our restaurant manager was in tears about that. It was so amazing.
Will Exit Zero continue fundraising for Ukraine?
We’re committed to keeping Chicken Kyiv on the menu through March and then we will reconvene after that. We would love to continue donating to the foundation. These people (in Ukraine) have a huge army against them.