The owners of a south-end Halifax restaurant say the way the community embraced them when they first started has them feeling compelled to give back during this difficult time.
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“As a community we stand by each other,” said Thamer Al-Rashaydeh. “We started here and we got help from the city and the government and the people here and we like to give back.”
A sign on the window of Basha Restaurant invites anyone who’s struggling financially to come inside and have a free meal.
Although the chicken and rice dinner comes with no questions asked, some rules have been added. All orders are take-out only and they have a strict one customer at a time policy.
As well, they are taking extra measures to ensure disinfect the restaurant.
“We make sure everyone sanitizes their hands when they come in,” Rashaydeh explained of the dispenser they installed on the outside of their front door. “And also every few minutes we clean the door handles and everything.”
Rashaydeh says the response has been enormously positive and many customers have donated to help support their efforts.
That continued support has them looking for even more ways to help too.
“We will help as much as we can,” he said.
“Anything the city needs, or the people need, anything, our kitchen is open.”