Atlanta restaurant offers free lunch today for furloughed government employees

ATLANTA — The doors to Twisted Soul Cookhouse and Pours are usually closed on Mondays.

But this isn’t just any Monday. It’s Day 31 of the government shutdown, and every one of the 350 guests seated for a complimentary meal is an unpaid federal employee, accompanied by family or colleagues.

“We’re really thankful for this restaurant,” said Nikki Bradford, an EPA employee who joined a friend for lunch.

Bradford has been a federal employee for the better part of a decade.

“I’m good up until now, but if it (the shutdown) keeps going another month out, what does that mean financially? What does that mean work-wise?” Bradford asked.  “I really just want to get back to work. That’s really what I want to do.”

Executive Chef Deborah VanTrece, who doubles as Twisted Soul’s owner, told Channel 2’s Nicole Carr that she put out the call for the luncheon on social media less than a week ago. She wasn’t sure if the shutdown would end before she coordinate the free meal, or even if she’d waited too long to coordinate the event.

“The idea came out of frustration,” VanTrece said. “Me like everyone else, I  was watching the news and watching this thing unfold on a daily basis.”

VanTrece thought she’d host 200 or so federal employees and family members. Instead the response was overwhelming—about 700 federal workers  called to make reservations. VanTrece was able to fill 350 requests on Monday. The remainder went on a waiting list.

“The phone was ringing off the hook. Like all day. It was all day,” she said. “On a regular day, when we’re super busy, we don’t hit those types of numbers….I knew we could do it. We pulled it together.”

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Shalorie Hunt brought her two nieces, sister and mother as her guests. She lives in Loganville and works for the Treasury Department.

“I’ve never gone through this ever in my whole career-just not having a paycheck,” Hunt said. “Right now we’re just going to work and don’t know when we’re going to get paid. It’s crazy.”

But Hunt hasn’t allowed herself to think about what will happen in the coming weeks if filling up her tank and paying bills becomes more difficult.

“I try to stay in a good spirit-a lot of prayer,” she said. “I’m sure things will get better. It will happen.”

John Gosch and his colleagues say their work for the federal government comes out of a passion for public service, but the strain of uncertainty is unprecedented.

“First we’re wondering how long it will last,” Gosch said.” And it makes us wonder whether we made the right decision sometimes-working for the federal government.”

“I feel like I could be doing anything but I’ve chosen this and I want to stick with it,” he said. “It’s been very difficult not being able to go to work.”

VanTrece received a personal thank from customers who could catch up with her Monday afternoon. She plans on hosting another event for federal employees on that waiting list if this shutdown doesn’t end soon.

“There’s an overwhelming sense of frustration. There’s fear,” VanTrece said. “They’re very thankful that people care, and this was a part of showing them there are people out there. We do care. We’re listening.”

Twisted Soul isn't the only Atlanta restaurant offering deals for government employees. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Atlanta Restaurant Scene has a full list here.

Cox Media Group