Diner Pays it Forward By Offering Free Meals

• Perfectly Frank Diner was hit hard by the pandemic and was kept afloat by a donation.
• To pay it forward, the diner now serves free meals for anyone who is hungry — no questions asked.
• So far it has already donated more than 100 meals to the community.

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The pandemic rendered Perfectly Frank diner owner Tara Morris unsure if she could still keep the business afloat. It has been a Norfolk, Virginia classic feature since 2005. Its staff is made up mostly of college students who are working to make ends meet.

But when a friend and loyal customer heard of the diner’s situation, they made a single donation that started the ball rolling.

They donated $2,000 to the restaurant, provided that $100 would go to each staff member and the rest would be used to feed the community. With the remaining $700, Morris started giving away free meals.

Morris said, “Maybe COVID hit them really hard, or they’re in between jobs — or maybe they’re taking a meal for their neighbor… We don’t ask any questions.”

They put up a “Franks For Friends” bulletin board where a variety of meals are presented. Anyone can visit the diner and pull a ticket from the bulletin in exchange for a free good meal.

Just redeem the ticket at the register, have it customized according to what you want, along with a drink that you can also select. Choose from a variety of salads, sandwiches, and hot dogs.  The most popular items on the menu are the cheeseburgers.

Hungry individuals claim an average of five meals a day. But there’s still more meals available for everyone. 

Morris said, “I had no idea that was going to happen… We began collecting meals faster than we were giving them away.”

Over 100 meals have already been given by the restaurant to the community but the donations keep coming. Morris says a partnership with local organizations to distribute bulk meals is being planned.

Morris said that they went from zero to a surplus! She hopes the donations never stop.

“It’s been very uplifting, very humbling. We know we’re going to be OK,” Morris ends.

Source: Tank’s Good News