A Great Story to Remember We are Human Not Social Media Memes

[Kyle 207]

https://www.fox4news.com/news/struggling-food-truck-owner-finds-ally-in-hungry-plano-pizza-shop-owner?fbclid=IwAR1LlLC1bxEfgDDmwJlsGX8ejaILYhoDNAc5K6RjUcXZ87wtqEPRLY9pbkw

 

PLANO, Texas - A woman who opened her restaurant in the middle of the pandemic at times did not know how she was going to make it work. Another business owner reached out to help.

Juline Mathe took a leap of faith and started a business during the pandemic.

FOX 4 interviewed her about the new restaurant, Renee’s Jerk Chicken, in November.

"I actually come from a family of chefs born and raised in Jamaica," she said.

The Frisco mother left her career as a flight attendant hoping to fulfill a dream and protect her daughter, who is considered high-risk because of an underlying health condition.

"So for probably a solid month and a half we were doing amazing. And then all of a sudden it just got dead," Mathe said.

People loved her food but she ran into roadblocks struggling to find places to park her food truck.

"Our chicken is cooked on-site so it’s not like it’s something we can reuse. I was losing so much money," she said.

A pizza shop owner in Plano with a craving for Jamaican food saw Mathe’s story on FOX 4 and called her up.

But what he found was a woman on the verge of giving up.

"I called her and said, ‘Hey, what are your hours? I want to buy some of the food.’ And she was very depressed. And she said well we don’t have a spot or whatever," said Ram Mehta, the owner of In-Fretta Pizza and Wings.

Mehta knew he could help her.

"I texted her and said, ‘Hey if I can be of any help. You can just park right across from my restaurant," he said.

"So wait a minute. You own a restaurant and you want me to bring my mobile restaurant and park in front of your business? Okay, what’s it going to cost me? And he’s like, ‘Nothing. Just come bring your truck, sell your chicken. You know, I just want you to win,’" Mathe said.

Once homeless, Mehta knows hardships.

The now successful business owner started a movement called Everyone Eatz, which organizes free food giveaways. It’s a result of a promise to his late mother and a vow to always give back.

"He’s just been amazing. I call him my fairy godfather," Mathe said.

"No! I’m from New York. No fairy godfather. The queens!" Mehta joked.

The two are now committed to working together.

Renee’s Jerk Chicken sells out regularly and the Everyone Eatz initiative grows bigger with each passing day.

This past Saturday marked more than half a million meals handed out by the organization.

 

[workswithseed 2112]

Hell yeah. That is a great story. I should get my parents to go out there to help them by buying some food there.

[Kyle 207]

Great older story on pizza man and his charity work ...

https://www.dallasobserver.com/restaurants/planos-in-fretta-restaurant-providing-meals-to-those-who-cant-afford-to-eat-11748308

ducation, shelter, clothing and food are all basic necessities, but many North Texas residents are short of at least one of those things.

According to the North Texas Food Bank, 17.6% of Dallas County residents and 11.5% of Collin County residents are food insecure. While there is no way to feed every food insecure person in these counties, a Plano restaurant owner has created a solution to help feed people experiencing homelessness, or who are short on money.

At In Fretta Urban Pizza Bar, guests who are food insecure may ask for a few free slices of pizza and a cup of ice water. The team prepares food for the guests and treats them as they would any paying customer.

“I believe in giving back,” says In Fretta owner Ram Mehta. “I’m a Sikh. In my religion, feeding the hungry is the best thing you can do. My dad owns a big school in New Delhi, and 25% of the kids are poor, and they aren’t charged any fees. Education and food are basic necessities. I’m just doing my part.”

Before opening In Fretta, Mehta worked in information technology. However, he always had a passion for Italian food, specifically, the heavy, hearty kind popularized in New York City.

“I used to go to Little Italy in New York,” Mehta says. “I felt that what was missing in Dallas was authentic New York pizza.”

Mehta grew tired of working in IT, and eventually decided to open In Fretta.

“I got my main chef from New York, and I told him that my only requirement is that I want it to taste just like New York pizza,” Mehta says. “I want the best ingredients, and everything needs to be made from scratch.”

Almost everything at In Fretta is made in-house, from the pizza dough to the sauces and pastas. The sauces for the Korean wings are imported from Korea and made specifically for In Fretta.

In addition to helping feed hungry people in his restaurant, Mehta and his team also regularly volunteer at homeless shelters.

“Just last week, we went to a homeless shelter on MLK Boulevard in Dallas,” Mehta says. “We fed over 100 homeless people. This makes me feel good. Everybody lives for themselves. What’s the point of having a couple thousand dollars on hand and not feeding someone who actually needs it? Food is a basic human necessity. If we can’t even do our parts and feed people, then what’s the point of living?”

Mehta also wants to help feed people with dietary restrictions. For those with food allergies or restrictions of any sort, Mehta requests they call and give him at least 24 hours notice. He and his team will then make diet-specific foods for them.

“I am willing to go out and buy specific kinds of flour so people with dietary restrictions can eat here,” Mehta says. “It makes no sense to me when parents come in with their kids, and their kids aren’t eating anything while they watch their parents eat. It takes us five to 10 extra minutes to make food based on their specifications. I want everyone who comes into the restaurant to feel satisfied.”

While Mehta commits seemingly endless acts of servitude, he insists this is what he lives for.

“I’m not doing these people a favor; they’re doing me a favor,” Mehta says. “This is what helps me sleep at night.”

In Fretta Urban Pizza Bar, 5588 State Highway 121, #300, Plano. Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; noon-9 p.m. Sunday.

[Mantis Toboggan, MD 1501]

That is a great story. Unfortunately, the way the world works now, someone is currently digging through his old tweets to see if he has ever said anything “problematic.”

[workswithseed 2112]

My aunt said she'd go.

[Cajun 11750]

Gotdamn, here I am all ready to completely give up on humanity and then the OP posts this.

Thanks for ruining my plans asshole!

😉

[Helobious 9466]

So her big problem was just that she couldn’t find a place to park her truck? I saw food trucks in all kinds of places during quarantine, they seemed to have a perfect business model for pandemic times. Sounds like she has the typical restaurant owner issue: great product, terrible business mind. Pizza guy really saved her ass.

[Updawg 2286]

So her big problem was just that she couldn’t find a place to park her truck? I saw food trucks in all kinds of places during quarantine, they seemed to have a perfect business model for pandemic times. Sounds like she has the typical restaurant owner issue: great product, terrible business mind. Pizza guy really saved her ass.

Is this why we can’t have anything good

[GringoSalado 1652]

11 hours ago, Helobious said:

So her big problem was just that she couldn’t find a place to park her truck?

"Location, location, location."

[achooloco 1086]

Nice stories overall but What the shit do they have to do with memes? Couldn’t it just be a pandemic story of good will? Or just normal goodwill stories?

[Underdog 28776]

Great story, OP.  Thanks for posting.