A restaurant owner said his heart broke when he saw what a mum and her four kids ordered to eat. The incident showed Joe Worrall, 34, the difficulties some families are facing in the cost of living crisis - and has made him change how his business operates.
Mr Worrall, 34, is one of the owners of Blackdoor Bar & Bistro, in West Derby, Liverpool said that the woman came in and ordered one plate of small pancakes off the children’s menu on June 2. The mum and four children asked for more forks and began sharing the two small pancakes on the plate - a sight Joe said made his ‘heart pull’.
He asked why they hadn’t ordered more to be told it was a treat for the children who were off for half term, but she was “struggling really bad with the cost of living”, the Liverpool Echo reported. He explained: “It was around 9.10am and a woman came in with her four kids. We have quite a playful menu with a kids menu and she ordered small pancakes from it.
“You can get an adult portion with five pancakes and sauce or a small pancakes for half the price. I didn’t want to say anything as I know some people can get embarrassed or offended, but she came up and was asking for more forks.
“She told me she was really struggling with money and it just pulled on my heart. I just gave her the pancakes for free. She said she was struggling with the cost of living and she just wanted to do something nice for her kids while they were off. We’re seeing this more and more now, everyone is struggling.”
After the mum and her kids left the bistro Joe spoke to his partner and co-owner, Sian Carberry, and they made a plan to try and help people who are in need. They have decided to sell food at half price between 9am and 3pm from Wednesday, June 7, to Saturday, June 10.
They will also be offering discounts between 10am and 3pm on Sunday, June 11. Joe said: “We’re not about just selling you your food and taking your money, we want to do things a bit differently. I will make a loss but it is just one of those things.
“If we can help families who genuinely need help then it’s worth it. We won’t ask anybody to explain their situation to us.”
