When it comes to generosity, restaurant chefs are right up there at the top of the heap in giving to others. They put on their aprons to help when fellow chefs are down. They donate their time and dollars at food festivals and fairs year-round. And, in the case of chef José Andrés and his World Central Kitchen, they organize meal programs for the hungry in global disaster zones.
San Diego is chockablock with generous chefs, but one of the most active over the past year is Travis Swikard, the chef and owner of Callie, a 3-year-old Michelin Bib Gourmand-honored Mediterranean restaurant in East Village.
Over the past few weeks, Swikard and his wife, Mia Swikard, coordinated a “Stuffies for Comfort” campaign, where they collected and delivered more than 4,000 new stuffed animals to children whose families lost their homes in the recent L.A. wildfires.
On one of the many van trips up to L.A. over the past month to deliver stuffies, the Swikards also bought 20 Costco pizzas for the visiting firefighters now tent-camping at the Rose Bowl.
As the parents of two young boys, Swikard said he and his wife decided to do the stuffed-animal drive because they believe these toys will give children who lost everything something to hold on to and bring comfort.
In late January, Swikard was one of 20 San Diego County chefs who took part in the Pop-Up for LA fundraiser organized by Puffer Malarkey Collective and ChefWorks. All proceeds from the smash-burger competition at Herb & Wood went to World Central Kitchen’s efforts in L.A.
And in November, Swikard hosted a pop-up dinner at Callie for his friend and fellow chef Andrew Bachelier, to raise awareness and funds for Bachelier’s restaurant, Chick & Hawk, set to open later this year in Encinitas.
But the Swikards’ biggest cause to date has been their work with Feeding San Diego. Since its founding in 2007, Feeding San Diego has provided more than 388 million meals to local residents in need.
One of the nonprofit’s most successful fundraisers in recent years has been the Pairings with a Purpose program. Restaurants close their doors to the public for one night of dinner service and the staff’s time is instead devoted to cooking and serving a charity dinner, with all proceeds donated to Feeding San Diego.
Last year, on Feb. 29, Callie hosted its first Pairings with a Purpose dinner. That dinner and other Callie fundraisers raised $399,195, or the equivalent of 798,390 meals for FSD clients, in 2024. Now Callie is preparing for its second Pairings with a Purpose dinner on Feb. 27. All money raised will go toward the opening 13 new school food pantries around the county offering free fresh produce and pantry staples to schoolchildren and their families in need.
Carissa Casares, senior manager of communication for Feeding San Diego, praised the Swikards for the commitment to the community.
“From the start, Mia and Travis were very clear about their intention to be business owners who invest in their community through philanthropy,” Casares said. “Having roots in San Diego and having returned here to start their businesses and raise their children, they have stepped up to improve the lives of people who call San Diego home. They are exactly the donors we want standing with us. Their commitment to helping others is evident in how naturally it comes to them. They have chosen again and again to make charity a part of their business model.
“Non-profits depend on the generosity of both individuals and businesses. Having Mia and Travis as Feeding San Diego stakeholders has been transformative for our organization. We are incredibly grateful that they prioritize our partnership and see the connection between nourishing the community from both a hospitality and charitable perspective,” Casares said.
Besides donating the restaurant space and staff to Feeding San Diego for the night, the Swikards and their sons also volunteered their time to Feeding San Diego sorting and packing food during the recent Thanksgiving holidays. And in December, Swikard raised $3,500 for the organization by donating $5 for every cookie sold at the restaurant in December.
A San Diego native, Swikard started his cooking career in 2002 as a cook for the local Cohn Restaurant Group. After culinary school, he spent 10 years working for famed French restaurateur Daniel Boulud in New York City. Swikard rose from the position of chef de partie at Café Boulud in 2008 to culinary director for three of Boulud’s New York restaurants in 2016. But when Swikard finally felt ready to open his own restaurant in 2019, he wanted to do it in his hometown of San Diego. (The pandemic delayed Callie’s opening until 2021).
Swikard said he has followed in the footsteps of his mentor, Boulud, in making charitable giving a priority in his restaurant business, which will double in size next summer when he opens the French restaurant Fleurette in the UTC area.
“I was raised to have a warm heart and I feel very fortunate to have the of the community and a busy restaurant,” Swikard said. “My strongest core value is humility and being humble means you live in the present and are aware of what’s around you.”
The Feeding San Diego Pairings with a Purpose event from 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 27 at Callie will include a cocktail party and hors d’oeuvres, a four-course dinner and wine pairings chosen by lead sommelier Tracy Latimer. Tickets are $550, or $2,200 for a table of four, $4,000 for a table of eight and $5,000 for a table of 10. They can be purchased at feedingsandiego.org/pairings-with-a-purpose.
