ABOUT US

Two workers in a warehouse setting, one holding boxes and the other with a bucket.

Our community impact

At the onset of the pandemic, Chef TJ Conwi and his team at Ono Vancouver began turning surplus food into thousands of meals per week for the community.

Volunteers from Vancouver Food Runners drive the food to seven non-profit organizations in downtown Vancouver and on the Downtown Eastside.

To date, the team has cooked 500,000 meals for charity at no charge, and diverted over 12 tonnes of food from the landfill.

Watch The Interceptors, a TELUS Originals 30-minute documentary about our work.

ReRoot is a new brand with the same mission, developed by Chef TJ Conwi and Chef Sean McDonald. By turning a small portion of the surplus food into a product line, we hope to bring in enough revenue to keep feeding the community for years to come.

Non-profit organizations we support

We currently donate 1,200-1,500 meals every week to seven non-profit organizations:

YWCA Crabtree Corner – a community and resource centre supporting women and families
Directions Youth Services – supports street-involved, at-risk and homeless youth
Aboriginal Front Door Society – offers essential services, including a warming shelter, personal storage and drop-in services
Tamura House and Sakura So – long-term and transitional housing through the Lookout Housing + Health Society
Pacific Association of First Nations Women - providing Indigenous, culturally safe learning and holistic supports to uplift Indigenous women and strengthen families
Ribbon Community – empowering communities in overcoming the impacts of HIV and HIV stigma

Meet the team

Chef TJ Conwi
TJ Conwi is a community leader and owner of Ono Vancouver. Previously, he was the executive chef at Delta Hotels Vancouver Downtown Suites and was part of the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel opening team. His passion for food bridges West Coast and Asian cuisines, rooted in his Filipino heritage and and guided by a commitment to sustainability. Secretly, his favourite snack is chicharon (pork rinds).
Chef Sean McDonald
Sean McDonald brings more than 15 years of experience in the food industry. Previously, he worked at Ono Vancouver, Wildebeest and Marriott hotels. He grew up in Burnaby, and when he's not in the kitchen he loves camping and going to shows. Professionally, his favourite foods are charcuterie and preserves, but privately, it's Schwartzie's potatoes.

Reach out to us