The Brazilian government plans to inaugurate seven more community restaurants by the end of the year. The budget provides for installing 100 more restaurants by 2007. The units in the cities of Diadema and Guarulhos, in the state of São Paulo, begin to operate today.
Altogether, 110 units throughout the country will be added to the 111 existing community restaurants maintained by the federal government and municipal or private initiatives. US$ 16 million are allocated this year for the authorization of new restaurants.
The community restaurants function in cities with over 100 thousand inhabitants. The restaurants are able to serve up to 5 thousand meals daily. The tab for each meal is US$ 0.43.
A study of the clients of community restaurants in the country indicated that 22% of the people interviewed do not eat meals on the days when they don’t go to these restaurants. 34% of them are aged 51 or more.
"They are possibly homeless people who go to the community restaurant, because it is nearby and the price is cheap," affirms Crispim Moreira, who works for the Ministry of Social Development and Hunger Alleviation.
Agência Brasil
