An anonymous donor has saved a Florida restaurant that might otherwise have closed for good, due to the coronavirus lockdown. Not only has his generosity kept the restaurant open, it also enabled the owners to offer a big “Thank you” to some local healthcare workers.
On the day that Bill’s Cafe in Naples was forced to close due to the governor’s stay-at-home order, one of its regular breakfast customers took owner Bill Salley aside and expressed his intention to help.
“He says listen I have two envelopes for you, ‘one for you, one for your help,’” Bill told WINK News. “It was so nice and kind of him.”
But that amount of money probably wouldn’t have saved Bill’s from ruin…
The donor then asked Bill if he would be willing to send 100 sandwiches per day to Naples Community Hospital across the street. Bill jumped at the chance, and all of the food was given to the hospital’s employees for free.
The donations, were purchased and distributed over the course of a few weeks—and they totaled $40,000.
Bill is supremely grateful—and so are his employees. Server Andrea Gianello told WINK News, “It felt good that someone genuinely cared about the community to come out and help… and help the nurses and the doctors.”
Now, Bill hopes the story of how his restaurant was saved will bring attention to the many other small eateries in need of help across the country. In the meantime, he and his staff plan to keep on serving the “best BLT in town.”
