GRAND RAPIDS, MI — As Kevin Farhat watched job losses grow amid the coronavirus pandemic, the owner of the Garage Bar and Grill wanted to find a way to help.
He found the answer in his kitchen.
Thanks to his business partners and a generous group of donors, his restaurant — starting Friday, March 20 — will be offering 100 free meals a day to laid off workers for the next 30 days.
“We're all in this together, so we all should find ways to help our friends and neighbors," he said. "For Garage Bar, we felt that cooking up some of our homemade items and giving away for free is our way of pitching in."
Those wishing to take advantage of the offer can do so by calling the restaurant, starting at 10 a.m. Each caller can order up to four meals. Menu items include burgers, chicken tenders, fries and more. Anyone who has been laid off qualifies. The bar’s phone number is (616) 454-0321.
Farhat said his workers won’t ask patrons for proof they were laid off. Instead, he’s leaving it up to the “honor system.”
“If a guy shows up in a suite and Porsche and wants a free meal, that’s on him,” he quipped.
The global economy has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. In West Michigan, some of the most public layoffs have been in the food and beverage industry. In an effort to slow the spread of the virus, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an order to close bars and restaurants to all but delivery and take-out orders.
Garage Bar and Grill, located at 819 Ottawa Ave. NW, was opened in 2014 by Max Benedict, Dave Levitt and Brad Rosely of Third Coast Development.
Farhat said the original idea was to offer 25 free meals per day, but the number grew to 100 after additional sponsors stepped up to lend a hand. That includes Mercantile Bank, Pioneer Construction, Car City, Custer Office, Century Flooring, EatGR, Leadco and an anonymous family.
"Our goal was just to get this idea off the ground and provide some relief to those in need,” said Levitt, of Third Coast Development. "But as soon as we mentioned this to other local business owners, it really took off."
Farhat declined to say how much money it will cost to provide the free meals or how much funding the various sponsors provided.
“Let’s just say thousands of dollars,” he said.
The free meals will not only benefit the community, it will also enable Garage Bar and Grill to keep its staff of 22 employees in place, Farhat said.
Employees who would normally wait tables and serve meals will help field orders for the meals, box the food up and hand it over to patrons.
“It’s nowhere near the money they were making, I guarantee that,” he said of his employees. “But it at least helps them a little bit.”
PREVENTION TIPS
- Michigan’s State Emergency Operations Center is coordinating state-government resources and the response to the coronavirus spread. It has shared the following tips:
- What you can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases:
- Always cover coughs or sneezes with a tissue or sleeve.
- For statewide and national information on the virus, visit Michigan.gov/Coronavirus or CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
- Stay home if you are sick and advise others to do the same.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
- Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, if soap and warm water are not available.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces (computers, keyboards, desks, etc.).
It’s not too late to get your flu shot! While the influenza vaccine does not protect against COVID-19 infection, it can help keep you healthy during the flu season.
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