World Central Kitchen has served over 500 million meals worldwide. It was founded by a chef who learned from Haitian women how to cook beans the right way.
A Chef Goes to Haiti
Jose Andres is a Spanish-American chef, James Beard Award winner, and one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People. He built a restaurant empire in Washington, D.C. and is credited with popularizing Spanish tapas in America.
After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Andres traveled to the island to cook for displaced families. A pivotal moment came when Haitian women taught him the proper way to cook black beans: mashed and sieved into a creamy sauce. It showed him that disaster relief food was not just about calories but about dignity and comfort.
From One Kitchen to Global Operations
Along with his wife Patricia and business partner Rob Wilder, Andres founded World Central Kitchen in 2010. The model was different from traditional food aid: arrive fast, cook locally, hire local staff, and serve meals that people actually want to eat.
In 2024 alone, WCK served over 109 million meals in 20 countries. The organization has been named to TIME's 100 Most Influential Companies and has become the gold standard for disaster food response. From hurricanes in the United States to conflict zones overseas, WCK deploys with the speed and precision that Andres demands.
Learn more on our World Central Kitchen page.
