FROM BURGLARY TO CHARITY Why One Restaurant Owner Gave Back Despite Being Robbed
His community, and many others far beyond, have reached out to Kahanawta and the business to
The pandemic has cost many restaurants much of their business, despite efforts to open for pickup and delivery. The unemployment numbers in the industry are also staggering. Imagine experiencing a burglary on top of that. This might cause many restaurants to shut down — but not Marco’s Pizza. Marco’s and several other establishments in The Colony, Texas, were robbed on April 19, smack dab in the middle of the pandemic, seemingly the worst time for a restaurant to be robbed. As it turned out, though, the robbery wasn’t very well-planned or effective. The surveillance cameras revealed that the robbers were inexperienced, fumbling through drawers for five minutes and trying to opening the safe with a pizza spatula. Although the thieves walked away with a small amount of cash — since there wasn’t much in the store to take — store owner Chamal Kahanawta’s initial response wasn’t bitterness, but worry for his community. He made a Facebook post that quickly went viral. It read, “In the coming months, if you find yourself in a situation unable to put food on the table, please stop by our store. There is no need to be shy or embarrassed. Just speak with the manager and quietly let us know you’ve seen this post. We will make sure your family gets a meal.”
express support for the giving act, despite a few people in the community attempting to steal from his business. One response from Malory Michelle Mudd said, “I love this response so much … a terrible situation where you can still empathize with those who
_____________________________ Write your name here and fax the completed puzzle to 860-533-0585, send it via empty delivery box or bring it to the shop and receive 10% off your next order . Limit one per customer. Expires July 31, 2020. WORD SEARCH CAESAR FIREWORKS GRILLING INDEPENDENCE Today, Kahanawta’s location is still serving pizzas for delivery and pickup and offers a variety of subs, salads and desserts. “The people who came and robbed me could have asked for food and would have got more value then what they were able to steal,” he told ABC News about the act. We hope we continue to see more compassionate business owners like you, Kahanawta. Cheers! have done wrong. This level of compassion is what we truly need. I’ve honestly never eaten at Marco’s, but this week I certainly will!”
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Every challenge was met with a beautiful little solution. Things have gelled together and we have a new, better system of doing things. We’re looking forward to future growth and being able to take more people when this is all over. That said, as much as I’ve enjoyed cooking and solving problems with the team, I’m looking forward to my vacation in July. It’s been a busy 2020!
The Kitchen will be closed Friday, July 3, through Sunday, July 12. There will be NO deliveries or storefront hours the week of July 7. Store reopens Monday, July 13. Phone calls and emails will be returned Sunday, July 12. Have a safe and happy Fourth of July! October Kitchen Is Going on Vacation!
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