The Fox family –Rachel, Randy and their three teenager kids – are embarking on a mission to combine their passion for social causes and creative, affordable food.
 
The Foxes Boxes, a restaurant slated to come to the Brooklyn Arts District this summer, will partner with community organizations to help provide on-the–job training for marginalized populations. A portion of the staff will be made up of externship participants who taking part in an intensive three-month program aimed at developing skills for employment within the hospitality industry.
 
“This is really a social enterprise that has a restaurant to go with it,” said co-founder Randy Fox.
 
Randy Fox has worked in the restaurant industry for over 25 years. He said he has benefitted greatly from the help of several mentors, and he now hopes to take on that role himself. Rachel Bodkin-Fox, a former nurse who is finishing a graduate degree in public administration, said the restaurant is a way for the couple to combine their passions with a common goal of benefiting the community.
 
The Fox family developed the phrase “think outside, eat inside” to go along with The Foxes Boxes name. Customers will choose from a variety of fresh, seasonal offerings to create a box that suits their taste. There will also be signature boxes such as the gourmet box, the basic box, the party box and the date box. 
 
The restaurant, located in the former Southern Furniture Co. building at 622 N. Fouth St., will have an open kitchen, an outdoor patio, a large community table and seating for about 50.
 
“We really hope to make this a cross-generational, cross-cultural gathering space,” Rachel Bodkin-Fox said.
 
An early August opening is expected.
 
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