OUR STATEMENT
We set out to deliver COMMUNE in a 200+ chef, two-week-long package this summer. Unmasked, vaccinated participants and staff -- the reunion we’ve all been waiting for since last March. But, the COVID climate has changed significantly since COMMUNE’s inception and over the past week, we’ve seen case counts and hospitalization numbers rapidly climbing.
Given our values and those of our community, we can’t, in good faith, ask hundreds of chefs and thousands of you to get in cars and on planes in a month’s time. While we can’t predict where we will be by then as a state or even as a country, we know that we are unwilling to gamble with anyone’s health.
We want to do this thing right. What does that mean?
We’re scaling this one back -- it’ll still be an all-star lineup of talent and an entirely outdoor, experiential dining compound. Just three days instead of two weeks; two dozen chefs not two hundred. For now...
In March 2022, we are doing COMMUNE as intended. 200+ chefs, two weeks, central Houston. We made a commitment to support this city and its restaurant scene which we value immensely. We also made a promise to all of you and we intend to deliver. With intentionality, an innate sense of hospitality, and some extra thought and care, we’re confident we still can.
Those who already purchased tickets have first right of refusal to keep them for this three day, intimate experience, dubbed COMMUNE Preview, to hold their ticket for COMMUNE proper in 2022 or to receive a refund. We have a limited number of spots available online for COMMUNE Preview, running August 26, 27 and 29, 2021. All events will be held in a 7,500 sq ft outdoor space, with limited and spaced seating and all local guidance observed.
That said, a lot can change in a little bit of time as we’ve all learned this past year. If the tide rises again, we’ll make a decision that prioritizes the safety of staff, talent, guests and our greater community. We appreciate you navigating this with us and we’re looking forward to taking these lemons and making some lemonade. What’s better than one anti-food-festival? Two. Let’s do this, Houston.