Two restaurant owners from Plano and Richardson are not rushing to reopen their doors under the new state guidelines announced Monday by Gov. Greg Abbott. Instead, they plan to keep providing free food for local people in need.
Zaid Bayan, co-founder and managing director of Sara’s Market & Bakery in Richardson, and Ram Mehta, co-owner of In-Fretta restaurants in Plano and Irving, are giving away 5,000 meals and 5,000 protective face masks Friday.
The event, which they’re calling #EveryoneEatz, is from noon to 3 p.m. at Sara’s, 750 S. Sherman Street in Richardson. Other businesses are also involved, including WellHealth, which will conduct free COVID-19 tests from noon to 1:30 p.m.
“We’re just as anxious as everyone else to get back to normal, but our No. 1 priority will continue to be the safety and well-being of our customers and employees,” Bayan said.
He and Mehta said COVID-19 has claimed the lives of several friends in other states and they don’t want the same thing to happen here. They also said they are concerned that it could be too soon for Texas to begin reopening businesses. Under Abbott’s order, restaurants and some other businesses will be allowed to open at 25% capacity.
“As much as these closures have affected our business financially, we don’t want to lose any more people,” Bayan said. “Our focus now is to continue growing the #EveryoneEatz campaign to support our communities’ most vulnerable.”
Mehta said he is also focusing on safety and helping others.
“We don’t want to take a chance because we, our staff and customer safety is of utmost importance even if it’s at the cost of losing some sales,” he said. “We will continue the #EveryoneEatz event, feeding 8,000 to 9,000 people weekly.”
Mehta’s In-Fretta restaurant in Plano is giving away about 200 free pizzas a day, and the Irving location is giving out about 90 to community members in need, he said. He is also focusing his business on curbside pickup orders and deliveries.
Bayan said the grocery side of his business will continue operating under state and local guidelines, which include social distancing and more cleaning and sanitizing. The restaurant portion will continue to limit orders to curbside and delivery only, he said.
Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiliere said Abbott’s order gradually reopening businesses “shows prudence coupled with a cautious approach,” but he asked residents to remain vigilant to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Several Plano restaurants plan to reopen to diners Friday night, including Mexican Sugar, Whiskey Cake, Haywire and Sixty Vines, Randy Dewitt, CEO of Front Burner restaurants, told The Dallas Morning News. They will operate on a reservation-only basis to prevent groups from gathering in the lobbies, Dewitt said.
Ida Claire in Addison and The Ranch at Las Colinas will reopen as well. The group’s other Plano restaurants — Legacy Hall and The Keeper — will remain closed.
