Wichita restaurants, individuals offering free food to shutdown-affected workers
As the government shutdown wears on, several Wichita restaurants and food providers are coming up with ways to try to help affected workers.
The latest example came on Thursday, when a group of students from Maize High School and Maize South High School took lunch to Wichita’s Eisenhower Airport to feed about 60 TSA employees who are working without pay. It was a cooperative effort between culinary students, who cooked a meal of chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, green beans and brownies, and students taking Law Enforcement classes, who served it.
Jay Brainard, who is the federal security director for TSA in the state of Kansas, said that people have been generous to workers since the shutdown began. The lunch was a particularly touching show of concern.
“This is probably the biggest morale booster we have for our work force,” he said. “There are a lot of things we can do internally but things like this we cannot do, and that somebody takes the time out of their day to come together as group, especially young people like this, it’s incredible.”
Also on Thursday, Great Harvest Bread Company at 535 N. Woodlawn introduced a new “shutdown shelf,” stocked with bread that government workers can take if they need it.
The owner of the Wichita store, Lesli Toubassi, said that the idea started with the Great Harvest store in Lawrence and spread to Wichita. The stores are stocking the shutdown shelf, which is behind the counter, with day-old bread — and Toubassi said her bread stays fresh for seven days after it’s baked. Government workers who want the bread, which includes everything from honey wheat to Cinnaburst, just have to let workers know. No ID is required.
Several other businesses in town also have offered to help ease the shutdown pain with free or discounted food. Here is a list of deals that a few restaurants are offering to government workers affected by the shutdown:
Augustino Brewing Company, 756 N. Tyler Road : Half-price beer with a government ID
Emerson Biggins Sports Bar & Grill, 2330 N. Maize Road: Customers with government ID can buy one entree and get one free.
Fazoli’s: This restaurant is offering furloughed government workers a free pizza baked spaghetti with the purchase of a drink through Jan. 27.
Hot-2-Trot Gourmet Hotdogs: This food truck is offering workers with a government ID a free gourmet hot dog.
Luciano’s, 216 W. Main, Mulvane: This Italian restaurant is offering a plate of pasta to workers and their families once a day for. Dine-in only.
Meddys, three Wichita locations: This local restaurant chain is offering government workers with ID 40 percent off one entree.
Riverside Cafe, three Wichita locations: Government workers with ID can get a free meal with the purchase of two drinks.
This story was originally published January 24, 2019 at 2:06 PM.
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