The restaurant workers at 8020 Concepts will hand out 500 free Thanksgiving meals in Dallas on Wednesday, Nov. 25.
Each meal feeds four to six people, and they’re available to anyone in need, no questions asked, says company owner Elias Pope. His company operates HG Sply Co. (in Dallas, Fort Worth and Trophy Club), Standard Service (in Dallas and Heath) and Leela’s Wine Bar and Hero, both in Dallas. The company also makes food for Dallas Stars and Dallas Mavericks athletes in a commercial kitchen near American Airlines Center.
The heat-and-serve Thanksgiving meals will be handed out near AAC, in Victory Park.
Items include a whole roasted chicken, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, creamed corn, green bean casserole, rolls and pumpkin pie. The food is sponsored by Chefs’ Produce, Ben E. Keith, La Francaise French Bakery in Garland, Empire Baking Co. in Dallas, Naked Truth Premium Chicken, Bridgford and French’s.
The team making the free meals is led by Danyele McPherson, a former Top Chef contestant and the culinary director at Pope’s seven restaurants and bars.
In March, a week after the dining room shutdown, Pope’s company started an initiative called Everybody Eats, a food handout program for people in North Texas. Company employees were also personally affected by the pandemic when the executive sous chef at HG Sply Co. died in July after contracting the coronavirus.
The free meals will be handed out from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday at 3090 Nowitzki Way, Dallas. The handouts will be contactless. Attendees do not need to reserve a meal in advance.
