Sat 11/10
Melt Bar and Grilled owner and founder Matt Fish admittedly has a special place for the city of Lakewood. Not only was it his home for a dozen years, but it also was the location of his first Melt Bar and Grilled location.
That’s why the Parma native didn’t hesitate to do his part when he was contacted by Lakewood Community Services Center (LCSC) Executive Director Trish Rooney regarding fundraising efforts for the charity, which serves more than 6,500 meals annually to residents.
“Trish was trying to reach out the retail and restaurant community in Lakewood to get a little bit more support because they receive a little amount of federal funding with the rest being donations from churches and community organizations,” Fish said.
“She knows I’m a charitable guy, so she was just trying to figure out a way to connect with the community a little bit more and let them know that there are a lot of people that are hungry in our backyard. In Lakewood, 14 percent of the population is under the poverty line, which was a shock to the system. I never imagined that many residents were below the poverty line.”
The result is the first End Hunger in Lakewood Day, which finds 36 Lakewood restaurants and food retailers on November 10 donating 10 percent of their day’s food sales to benefit LCSC.
Because Lakewood over the past decade has become a dining and retail destination, Fish reached out to the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, which in turn put him in touch with the city’s restaurant community.
“We had no idea what the reaction was going to be, but so far it’s been positive with a lot of good names in Lakewood coming together to help feed the needy,” Fish said.
Considering this is the inaugural End Hunger in Lakewood Day, odds are it may return in the future.
“We definitely want to make it an annual event,” Fish said. “With so many different restaurants on board this year, I can’t believe they won’t have a positive experience. I’m assuming most restaurants will see robust sales, and we’ll be able to raise a couple of bucks for the charity. Anything is better than nothing.”
Restaurants participating in End Hunger in Lakewood Day include Aladdin’s Eatery, Around the Corner, Barrio, Blackbird Baking Company, Cleveland Vegan, Deagan’s Kitchen & Bar, Dewey’s Pizza, Fear’s Confections, Forage Public House, Georgetown Greek Village Grille, Gray Dog Diner, Harlow’s Pizza, Harry Buffalo, Humble Wine Bar, Ice Cream Joy, India Garden, Italian Creations, LBM, Little Lakewood Pasta Company, Mad Mac’s, Mahall’s 20 Lanes, Malley’s Chocolates, Melt Bar and Grilled, Rood Food & Pie, Salt+, Sarita a Restaurant, SouperMarket, Sweet Amelia’s, Taco Tonto, Thai Thai, the Root Café, Vosh, West End Tavern, Woodstock BBQ and Yuzu.