Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris Originally published February 1, 2007 Click here for the current edition Dooky's Gets $175K Grant From Starbucks Dooky Chase Restaurant and its owner/chef Leah Chase have been awarded a $175,000 grant from Starbucks. It's part of a $2.5 million grant from the national coffeehouse chain to the NAACP, with which Starbucks has created an alliance for projects like this. Dooky Chase was badly damaged by the hurricane, with deep flooding that stood for weeks, a collapsed roof, and destruction of all equipment and furnishing. The Chases' home also caught it; they're living in a FEMA trailer next to the restaurant. Leah Chase told me her insurance didn't cover the cost of putting the restaurant back together. But she's so charismatic that she's inspired a number of efforts to help her fill the gap. "I have to rebuild," she said at a conference last year. "My neighborhood needs me to reopen." The Starbucks money will push the reconstruction funding over the top, and allow the restaurant to reopen (it is hoped; these things have been unpredictable) by April of this year. That's not in time for Holy Thursday gumbo z'herbes, but soon enough. It's not quite New Orleans without Leah Chase and Dooky's. © 2007 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com