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Small
businesses come to the rescue
Restaurants serve hungry multitudes
Sunday, October 23, 2005
By Christine L. Bordelon
Kenner bureau
While many people
evacuated New Orleans and its suburbs for hurricanes Katrina and Rita,
some for weeks on end, several local businesses met the needs of those
who weathered the storms in town.
Drago's Restaurant in
Metairie began feeding the masses when its longtime manager stayed
behind to protect the restaurant. He started feeding his employees.
Their friends and relatives who were without food also were welcome, and
soon the crowds grew from several dozen to hundreds, said Drago's Tommy
Cvitanovich.
"It started off the
day after the storm when my manager, Freddie (McKnight), who has been
with us 20 years, stayed in the building during the storm and started
feeding a few employees who live in neighborhood," Cvitanovich said.
When the
Cvitanoviches returned to town Sept. 5, the first Monday after the
storm, Tommy Cvitanovich said they served 500 meals: 250 to the Coast
Guard and 250 to others. The next day's total was 1,200, and from there
Drago's was feeding anywhere from 1,800 to a high of 3,400 a day at its
Metairie location. He estimates that more than 70,000 free meals were
served in six weeks in the restaurant's parking lot.
"My mom (Klara) and I
said, 'We got food left over, and it's still good, it's still frozen. .
. . It was the right thing to do."
Those who stopped by
were grateful for the meals of red beans and rice, shrimp Creole and
pasta with sausage or chicken.
"There was no place
open," said Richard Gallois of Kenner, who ate twice at Drago's with his
wife, Lynne. "We were looking for somewhere to eat. We heard about
Drago's and stood in line. It was delicious; I was glad to get it."
Drago's has now
concentrated its efforts in New Orleans, feeding Lakeview residents for
free near St. Dominic's Catholic Church. The site is Drago's original
location.
"It's a good
feeling," Cvitanovich said. "It's such a neighborhood atmosphere."
"They come over, eat
lunch, sit in front of church and talk with their friends from 30 to 40
minutes," Cvitanovich said. "It's a neighborhood meeting place."
Cvitanovich said the
effort is truly a community project, made possible by donations from
longtime food industry contacts such as Conco, Sysco, Whole Food Co.,
Bill Goldring of Republic Beverage and Pete Hilzim of Kajun Kettle.
"It's the hospitality
industry giving back to the community that used Drago's as the outlet,"
Cvitanovich said.
Over in River Ridge,
feeling extremely fortunate that his P.J.'s Coffeehouse on Jefferson
Highway didn't flood or experience damage, franchisee owner Anthony
Satterlee wanted to throw a party for his employees. Instead, he and his
crew decided to hold a clothing and toy drive Oct. 8, three weeks after
the store had reopened.
The one-day event
netted 50 bags of children's and adult clothing and toys from employees
and customers. Everyone enjoyed free food during the evening.
"It was community
effort," said Satterlee. "I had fliers up in the store, a lot of word of
mouth."
Satterlee said he
donated what was collected to the Louisiana State Troopers' Association,
adding that between 40 to 50 troopers' families lost everything in the
storm.
Rick's Café, a
73-seat restaurant in Kenner, also was busy cooking for State Police a
few weeks after the storms hit.
With a wall knocked
down in their restaurant, owners Gene and Fran Cradic said they had to
wait until their landlord completed quick repairs before they could
reopen. Soon, they were filling food orders daily from Troop B's
location on Williams Boulevard in Kenner.
Among the meals for
local and out-of-town troopers: crawfish Monica, pasta diablo, spaghetti
with meat sauce, baked chicken, ham steaks, Salisbury steaks and full
breakfasts with scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, hash browns, biscuits and
French toast. Because they, too, lost employees to the storm, the
Cradics were doing all the cooking, getting up at 2 a.m. so breakfast
could be served by 5 a.m.
The meals were taken
to Williams Boulevard Baptist Church, next to Troop B, where the
troopers ate.
"We were cooking for
law enforcement agencies," Gene Cradic said, estimating 150 to 400 meals
a day were served. He said he offered a special price to the police.
"All year long the
State Police take care of us," he said. "This was my way to help. They
asked me to do it, and so I did."
He said he was
cooking comfort food to give customers and the troopers a little piece
of home. The Cradics said they didn't mind a minute of it.
"All I'm doing is
feeding people," Gene Cradic said. "The real story is the guys we're
feeding. . . . If we're going to recover, everybody has to do what they
can do, and we'll bounce back."
Andrea Apuzzo, owner
and chef at Andrea's restaurant in Metairie, was feeding relief workers
from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Jefferson Parish law
enforcement officers and those from out of state and just about anybody
who walked in the door of his Metairie restaurant starting about five
days after the storm. Through Oct. 7, he averaged 120 to 150 breakfast
and lunch meals a day. Apuzzo said he was cooking with generators.
"We never left here,"
he said, adding that he lost all but four of his employees. "We cleaned
the restaurant, and then I talked to Mr. Broussard (Jefferson Parish
President Aaron Broussard) and (Sheriff) Harry Lee -- we go back many
years with them -- so we had a meeting in Jefferson Parish, and we got
together. I had plenty energy to do it -- I had gas and plenty of
electricity."
Items such as
jambalaya, roast chicken, pork tenderloins, pork loins, meatballs and
several varieties of beef were prepared. Apuzzo said some of his regular
distributors were donating food items to him to cook from 6 a.m. to 5
p.m.
"I give a lot away
all the time," Apuzzo said. "I am a very hard-working person. I felt I
wanted to do something. . . . Whoever was coming through the doors, we
were feeding them."
Other businesses such
as Wal-Mart stores in Kenner and Boutte donated food, particularly meat
items for grilling, to the National Guard and Kenner Police Department,
said New Orleans district manager Doug Woodson. The Kenner store also
donated to City Hall's Kenner Kantina.
"We tried to help out
as much as we could," Woodson said. "We donated truckloads of water to
the city of Kenner."
To welcome residents
back, Ramsey's Jewelers in Metairie took a unique approach by having
fleur-de-lis pins -- a symbol of New Orleans -- designed. It is giving
them away.
Eight AmSouth
branches are giving away free cleanup kits with a dust mask, a pair of
latex gloves, a bottle of hand sanitizer, insect repellent and a trash
bag.
Those who helped
their fellow residents and customers over the past few weeks say they
believe in the future of the area and were glad to be part of the
return.
"I already think New
Orleans is a better place and will be a better place to live," said
Tommy Cvitanovich. "I think we are a strong and passionate people, and
we won't be down for long."
. . . . . . .
Christine Lacoste
Bordelon can be reached at cbordelon@timespicayune.com or (504)
461-0437.
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