Following any natural disaster, we see stories of acts of kindness – and Hurricane Florence is no different. After thousands remained without power in the Carolinas because of the hurricane, a restaurant stepped in and offered delicious Mexican food.
La Casa del Patrón in Havelock fed nearly 2,000 people affected by the flooding from the Category 1 storm, which killed 42. In response to the uncertainty many face, the restaurant decided to do something. It announced on social media that it’d serve free food on September 15 starting at 10 a.m. It ran out of food by 4 p.m. It offered up fajitas, quesadillas, rice, and frijoles. For many families, it was their first hot meals for days.
“We have the food and means to be able to give back and cook for those who don’t have any food,” said the owner Antonio Quezada.
La Casa del Patrón was among those affected by power outages. The cooks prepared the meals with only flashlights and cell phones to light up the kitchen. A video of the scene went viral on Twitter after a journalist shared a video, saying, “Talk about neighbors helping neighbors!”
With some communities going without power, many businesses had no choice but to temporarily shut down in the days after Hurricane Florence. Some residents listed La Casa del Patrón as one of the first serving the community. As the story has made the rounds on social media, people have called for Fox News and others to recognize the immigrant cooks and owners for their generosity.
People were impressed by Quezada’s initiative and wanted to thank him by paying for the food. But Quezada remained true to his goal, which was to use his restaurant to serve his community in a time of need.