Huntington Street Bar And Grill Serves 400 Meals
Cars wait on the side of SR 13 to turn into the alley beside Huntington Street Bar & Grill to be served free meals. InkFreeNews photos by Sarah Wright
By Sarah Wright
InkFreeNews
SYRACUSE — On Monday, April 20, cars wrapped around the block of Main, Harrison and Pearl streets and SR 13 before being shuffled six at a time into the alley alongside Huntington Street Bar & Grill to receive free meals. The business was the latest location in Syracuse to offer them during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Amy Farmer, who manages Huntington Street Bar & Grill with her sister Melissa Sabin, explained several community members had donated funds toward the event, partnering with Huntington Street and volunteers to make it all happen. It was a true team effort.
Amber Brown and her boyfriend Toby donated masks for all the helpers to wear during the event. Taylor White, with Stanz Foodservice of South Bend, stopped by to see how the event was going; he and Stanz Food Service helped ensure Huntington Street got all of the supplies it needed for the giveaway. Meanwhile, Chef Cory Sidel prepared the meals, which consisted of either chili and grilled cheese sandwiches or pulled pork sandwiches and home chips. He was supported by executive chefs Blake Keene, Blake Elick and Kyalin Carpenter. Wait staff and volunteers then organized and served the meals while the Syracuse Police Department managed traffic.
“We have a great staff,” Farmer said of them all coming together.
Jennifer Wagoner, a member of Huntington Street Bar & Grill’s wait staff, serves four meals.
Serving started about 10 minutes before 4 p.m. with an anticipated 300 meals to be served. That number ballooned reaching 400 by the time the last car to be served traveled through the alley at 4:45 p.m. Chili was the first item to run out, requiring the grilled cheese sandwiches to be served with home chips. By about 4:33 p.m., only pulled pork sandwiches and home chips remained.
The driver of the last car shared that they were so happy they could cry as they were being served, noting they needed some normalcy.
“We served 260 pulled pork sandwiches and 140 grilled cheese sandwiches,” Farmer said as the giveaway concluded. “It just makes you want to do more.”
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- Brayton Bartman collected donations throughout the free meal giveaway for those who wanted to give.
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- Samantha Stout wears a shirt that she had one of her friends make. It reads, “I miss my friends at Huntington Bar & Grill — COVID-19.”
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- Vehicles line Pearl Street, waiting to turn on to the side of SR 13.
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- Vehicles stretched past Bass Audiology on Main Street while waiting for free meals from Huntington Street Bar & Grill.
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- Bobby Jenkins, left, helps hand out meals while Breanna Bartman, center, and Ronda Morgan, right, arrange the serving table.
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- From left, Lesa Swank, Ronda Morgan, Breanna Bartman and Jennifer Wagoner managed the meals and handed them out.
