Puerto Vallarta Mexican restaurant is set to hold its annual free Thanksgiving dinner for the community.
Nick Garcia, owner of the restaurant, said they have been holding this dinner every year for the past nine years. They make everything from turkey to mashed potatoes to stuffing.
“We do a full Thanksgiving dinner,” Garcia said.
The dinner will be held on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 28, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Puerto Vallarta, 1600 Pocatello Creek Road in Pocatello.
The restaurant’s employees spend the whole morning preparing the food for the meal.
“I eat in at 2 a.m. and we start cooking around 18 turkeys,” Garcia said. “We have them mostly ready by 11 a.m.”
Garcia was inspired to provide this free Thanksgiving feast because he wanted to find a way to give back to the community and to help people in need.
“Pocatello is a very tight knit community,” Garcia said. “Everyone is out to help everyone.”
Everyone is welcome to eat the meal, whether they can’t afford to make a Thanksgiving dinner for themselves or if they don’t have anywhere else to go for the holiday.
“We do it for anyone who doesn’t want to spend Thanksgiving alone,” Garcia said. “Who wants to cook turkey for two people?”
Once the food is served, Garcia is able to visit with some of the people who eat the meal and listen to their stories. One year, I served a family whose mother was in the hospital after suffering a heart attack. He said he provided the family with a plate of food to bring their mom.
Another Garcia family met while serving their restaurant’s annual Thanksgiving meal had been driving through Pocatello on their way to visit relatives when their car suddenly broke down. They didn’t have enough money to fix the car and buy dinner for themselves.
“Because there was a free meal, they were able to have dinner and pay for the part they needed,” Garcia said.
Most of the food that is served during the meal is donated by customers, businesses and churches. They either donate money or food to make the dinner possible.
“A good friend of ours donated 40 feet from Costco,” Garcia said. “Gate City Church donated as well. We’ll be able to provide the full Thanksgiving dinner.”
Last year, around 300 people visited Puerto Vallarta on Thanksgiving for the free Thanksgiving meal.
“That’s not counting the people who came to pick up food for other people,” Garcia said.
The best part about Puerto Vallarta’s Thanksgiving dinner for Garcia is giving back to the community and watching people eat in and enjoy eating food and interacting with others.
“It feels good when people come and eat here and it feels better when they ask if they can take something (home with them),” Garcia said.
Source: idahostatejournal
