Last year, they carried the restaurant to the darkest days of the epidemic with donations. Now with the donated meal, they are taking each other.
The nearly 16-year-old main restaurant in Norfolk, Virginia, has launched a free meal initiative to feed the community by donating food to customers.
Anyone who needs a meal can go to the restaurant, pick up a ticket from the “Franks for Friends” bulletin board and change it for a menu item.
“Maybe Covid hit him really hard, or he’s in the middle of a job – or maybe he’s taking a meal for his neighbor,” Tarah Morris, owner of Perfectly Frank, told CNN. “We don’t ask any questions.”
The initiative began and grew rapidly
The idea for “Franks for Friends” began with a donation.
After reopening the restaurant to dine in person, Morris said community donations have declined as people feel a sense of normalcy.
But his staff – mainly Old Dominion University college students – were struggling for ultimate satisfaction.
A friend and longtime customer donated $ 2,000 to the restaurant, asking that staff 100 go to each staff member and feed the rest of the community. With $ 700 left, Morris started offering free meals.
The initiative evolved rapidly. Customers also started donating. A bulletin board was erected. A clipboard was designated.
“I had no idea it was coming,” Morris said. “We started accumulating faster than we were serving food.”
About five people claim meals every day – a number that barely scrapes the amount available, Morris said. To get more meals, Morris staff prepares bulk orders for local after-school programs twice a week.
At the restaurant, he tries to keep the meal on the bulletin board separate.
Hot dogs, salads and meals perfectly develop Frank’s extensive menu – but cheeseburgers are the most popular items.
Meal-free meal customers take to the register to redeem their tickets, where they can customize their order and choose a drink.
‘It’s not even about money’
Morris said he was receiving calls, emails and letters from people in the US who wanted to support “Franks for Friends”.
An email from Miami, Florida, she got.
“He said, ‘I don’t have much money – I’m really broken – but I saw your story …’ and he was overjoyed to know that good people out there were doing good things.” This chaos, “Morris said. .
The man then called for food donation, but his card was rejected.
Perfectly Frank’s employee who was on the phone with him, put his card details, donated $ 20 in his name.
“That story was very touching and involved only $ 20,” Morris said. “It’s not even about money. It’s about people doing nice things for someone.”
There is no end to sight
Morris said the surplus of donated meals is so large, he cannot expect an end.
“I hope it will continue forever,” he said. “At the rate that donations come in, I think it will never stop.”
Morris said she hopes to provide bulk meals by partnering with more local organizations. But for now, she said what happened has been a much-needed lift in spirits.
“Kovid and all the trouble is coming to an end – we didn’t know if we would make it,” he said. “We were able to go from ground zero to can. It’s been very uplifting, very humble. We know we’ll be fine.”
“Perfectly Frank has served more than 100 meals so far,” Morris said. He doesn’t think they’ll run anytime soon.
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