Fire Hall Kitchen and Tap is serving up some generosity and goodwill this holiday season.
Staff are delivering free professionally-made turkey dinners to as many as 700 people on Christmas Eve. The meals, prepared by chef Doug Wagner, will come with mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberries, and a portion of juicy tender bird. Restaurant co-owner Jesse Roberts and his family and friends will go door-to-door to complete deliveries.
“We just want to make sure that nobody in Cranbrook goes without on Christmas Day,” said Roberts.
“Somebody not enjoying a little bit of magic on Christmas Day, or not having sufficient food, or even just a grandma and grandpa where it’s not worth it going through all of the trouble to cook a whole Christmas dinner, this sort of scratches all the itches.”
This generous gesture didn’t start with the Fire Hall. It was a family tradition in the Roberts family that started 25 years ago. On Christmas Day, the Robertses and their friends would convene in the kitchen at Cranbrook Dairy Queen, and cook and serve food to locals who dropped in for the day. Dairy Queen staff would also volunteer their time and help out.
When pandemic restrictions were implemented, the family began delivering meals instead. Roberts decided to make the endeavor a part of his business when it opened six years ago.
“We keep that tradition alive,” Roberts said.
Meals were made possible this holiday season with help from what Roberts called his “army of elves.”
“Our servers and our bartenders are coming to help with the assembly and we get a big team of people together to help with all the deliveries,” Roberts said.
“Chef Doug really takes the lions share of the work in the back.”
Fire Hall director Stephanie Moore organized all the addresses and information on each recipient. Save-On-Foods purchased and donated much of the food used to prepare the meals.
Guests at the Fire Hall and at Encore Brewing Company can lend their support to the cause and buy a Christmas dinner for two by purchasing a $10 ornament.