BENA, Minn. (Video from WCCO, WARNER BROS PICTURES, CNN via CNN) —

Drawing attention like a fish flopping around out of the water, a massive muskie near Lake Winnibigoshish in Cass County, Minnesota, has been reeling in the attention of tourists for more than 65 years.

But put down your tackle box and tuck away your dreams of casting out to catch the 65-foot monster.

"You're not going to catch this with a regular muskie lure? You're going to use a moose or a black bear for bait,” Al Hemme joked as he talked to WCCO. “And, you're going to need a truck with a winch on it to reel it in."

The muskellunge in question is not actually a fish. It’s a large structure — which is also a piece of art.

And it’s big.

In its earlier days, it was used as a drive-up food stop — selling ice cream out of a drive-up window on the side of the fishy structure, according to Hemme, who — along with his wife, Amy —owns the muskie. The fish is located on the property of the Big Fish Supper Club.

It was built in 1957 by Wayne Kumpula, according to WCCO, which reports that burgers and fries, which were cooked in the muskie's tail, were also sold inside the fish when it was a food stand.

The Hemmes haven’t always owned the muskie or the namesake business. They purchased the property, which also houses a resort, in 2010.

Prior to the Hemmes becoming the owners, the fish structure was on the verge of physically collapsing, but It was refurbished thanks to the help of an anonymous donor and others, according to WCCO.

The muskie become somewhat of a pop culture icon over the years — having even taken a bite out of Hollywood. An image of the fish structure appeared as a postcard in “National Lampoon’s Vacation.”

“There are so many people that watch that movie now, and they'll quickly take a picture of it and send it to our phones. 'Did you know?' 'Yes, we did know that,’” Amy Hemme said.

Decades after it was built, the giant work of art continues to draw tourists, movie buffs and selfie-takers to the supper club and resort.

"I love our place. I love our people. I love watching the kids grow through the years, and they become like family. It's very, very nice,” Amy Hemme said.

Those who may get a hankering to cast a line upon seeing the giant fish need not worry. According to the Big Fish Supper Club’s website, the giant fish is located “adjacent to one of Minnesota’s top walleye fishing lakes.”

CNN —

A restaurant in China that challenged its customers to eat more than 100 dumplings in return for a free meal has fallen foul of authorities, who are investigating whether it has violated the country's anti-food waste law.

Related video above: How to reduce food waste

Local authorities in Yibin City in the southwestern province of Sichuan swooped on the restaurant after hearing of its "king of big stomach challenge," the state-affiliated news outlet The Cover reported this week.

The challenge reportedly involved patrons competing to eat 108 chaoshous, or spicy wonton dumplings, as quickly as possible to win a free meal and additional prizes.

To drum up interest, the restaurant had advertised the offer on social media to entice patrons only to find itself in the hot seat when the State Administration for Market Regulation said it would open an investigation into whether it had breached the law surrounding food waste.

While eating contests are relatively common in Western countries and can bring fame for their winners – like Joey Chestnut, who last week won Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island by downing 62 hot dogs in 10 minutes – they can be a sensitive matter in China.

Many in the country still have memories of the famine of the 1950s and 60s that killed an estimated 45 million people.

The Cover said the restaurant, which it did not name, was one of several being probed by the authorities over similar competitions.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has in the past called food waste "shocking and distressing" and in March this year said agricultural supplies were like the foundation of national security.

The law against wasting food was enacted in 2021, following pointed government criticisms of online bloggers who live-streamed themselves binge eating to draw in viewers. Many of their accounts were subsequently suspended by the social media platforms.

Under the law, restaurant owners can be fined up to 10,000 yuan ($1,400) if their establishments "induce or mislead customers to order excessively to cause obvious waste."

Radio and television stations, as well as online video and audio providers, face a maximum fine of 10 times that amount if they are found to be involved in "making, publishing, promoting programs or audio messages about eating excessively and binge eating and drinking."

The restaurant in Yibin "demonstrates behaviors of binge eating and drinking and inducing customers to order excessively," the Cover said, citing the local market regulator.

However, some Chinese internet users have criticized the authorities for overreaching.

"Is this counted as a waste? Why not let people compete for the biggest eater? Will the food not consumed there actually go to the poor?" wrote one user on Weibo, China's version of Twitter.

Another user pointed to the country's poor track record on food safety, which has included scandals ranging from contaminated baby milk powder to the use of "gutter oil" – recycled oil tainted with food waste or even sewage.

"You didn't regulate food safety … but this?" the user said.

More New York state Starbucks locations are now set to vote to decide if workers there want to unionize. Many see the effort as having the ability to possibly pick up steam in other parts of the country.

As Bloomberg reported, Nancy Wilson, an acting regional director of the National Labor Relations Board ordered ballots be sent out to Starbucks employees by Jan. 31, and be returned by Feb. 22. Employees at the three additional stores will vote to decide if they would like to join Workers United which is affiliated with Service Employees International Union which won elections recently at two other Starbucks sites in Buffalo.

So far, only two out of 9,000 of Starbuck's corporate-run locations are unionized, which comprises over 230,000 employees, the New York Times reported.

Reggie Borges, a spokesperson for Starbucks was quoted in the Times using a little different language, saying that the company was not anti-union, but instead was “pro-partner,” with its employees. Borges says that the company has historically listened to its workers' feedback and made changes that make unionizing unnecessary.

In early January, unionized Starbucks employees in upstate New York staged a walkout citing fears over COVID-19 safety amid a surge of virus cases. As the Associated Press reported, six of those employees formed a picket line outside of one of the stores in Buffalo causing it to decide to close for the day, after around a third of the staff did not report to work because of safety fears.

Borges said that Starbucks had met and exceeded CDC and expert guidelines and offered vaccine and isolation pay to employees.

“Over and above that, all leaders are empowered to make whatever changes make sense for their neighborhood, which includes shortening store hours or moving to 100% takeout only, which is the case in Buffalo,” Borges said.

Starbucks workers at various cities across the U.S., in cities including Knoxville, Tenn., Tallahassee, Fla., Seattle, Chicago, Boston and Denver, have reportedly been seeking to follow the model of Buffalo in seeking to vote to organize unions, according to the New York Times.

In a 2006 statement on Starbucks' corporate website, the company addresses its long-held perspective on unionizing writing, "While Starbucks respects the free choice of our partners, we firmly believe that our work environment, coupled with our outstanding compensation and benefits, make unions unnecessary at Starbucks. We respect our partners’ right to organize, but believe that they would not find it necessary given our pro-partner environment." 

John Logan, a labor studies professor at San Francisco State University told the New York Times that unionizing has traditionally been effective when aimed at companies with a small number of large workplaces, as striking at one of less than 20 large factories can cause a disruption. But, striking at one or a few out of 9,000 Starbucks stores across the country would likely make little to no difference to the profits of a company as massive as Starbucks.

At Johnny D’s Waffles and Benedicts, the kitchen may be hot, but the dining area is stone cold.

“We were having a really good March,” said chef and restaurant owner Jamie Daskalis. “It dropped big time.”

She said, even with offering takeout, business at

her Myrtle Beach, S.C. restaurant

is down 90 percent. All but one of her 30 employees are out of a job, along with 8 million others who work in restaurants across the country.

“Everyone else, unfortunately, is laid off,” Daskalis said.

Indoor dining is still off the table in South Carolina, but as the governor begins allowing more businesses to reopen, some are prepping for the day when diners may be allowed back inside.

“I have been preparing in my brain what I want to do,” Daskalis said.

Some ideas she has include:

- Removing condiments and napkin dispensers from tables
- Giving each guest a disposable, paper menu
- Having guests wait outside to be seated
- Spacing out tables to comply with social distancing

Fewer tables, though, ultimately means accommodating fewer customers and less revenue.

“I think that the profit margin is going to be even slimmer,” Daskalis said. “But I just want to make enough to pay bills and you know keep my employees employed.”

Getting employees back won’t be instantaneous, however.

“They have to bring them back. Then, they have to train them,” said Karen Riordan, CEO of the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce. “Then, they have to make sure they have all the right hand-sanitizer and protocols in the restaurant industry.”

At the federal level, some members of the coronavirus task force are cautioning about reopening businesses too quickly, like restaurants.

“If there’s a way that people can social distance and do those things, then they can do those things,” Dr. Deborah Birx said during a coronavirus task force news conference on April 21. “I don’t know how, but people are very creative.”

Yet, there are fears that not every restaurant will survive the coronavirus pandemic, and that when this is all over, the restaurant scene we’ve become accustomed to will look very different.

“I'm nervous for some restaurants here,” Daskalis said, adding that she hopes Johnny D’s will still be left standing. “I just want to be here for when this is done.”

How your food gets to you and where it comes from is shifting.

“It pretty much goes back to the 1950s and 60s. It was pizza companies and Chinese food companies that were trying to get an edge on other types of food delivery,” said Amanda Belarmino, an assistant professor at the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Tech has made that easier for restaurants of every kind.

“It’s actually one of the oldest businesses to not be impacted by technology, but that’s changing very quickly,” said Alex Canter, CEO and co-founder of Nextbite. “The way that e-commerce came in and changed retail and people shop online now and order products and services on Amazon or through Instagram, whatever is being targeted to them, the same thing is happening for food.”

Nextbite was one of the dozens of companies showcasing their business at the Food on Demand Conference, a space for cutting edge food delivery tech.

“This is the fourth year of the Food on Demand Conference. It’s actually been growing substantially year over year.”

“Online ordering has taken such a big place in the priority for restaurants when they’re looking at technology,” said Hadi Rashid, the co-founder of Lunchbox.

“People are having this desire for restaurant-quality food. There also sometimes comes this desire to not leave the house at the same time,” Belarmino said.

She has done research on the sharing economy and consumer behavior with meal delivery services.

“More and more restaurants feel that they need to be on the apps in order for their visibility, just like we saw that happen with social media,” she said.

The food delivery market has more than tripled since 2017, according to stats from management consulting firm McKinsey & Company. The food delivery global market has a worth of more than $150 billion.

“We’ve seen a rapid marketplace acceptance,” Belarmino said.

It’s not just your favorite brick and mortar restaurant that’s having to adapt. The doors have opened to a whole new space for ghost kitchens and virtual restaurants.

“There’s a new type of restaurant called a virtual restaurant, which is essentially a restaurant that only exists online. Which means there's no physical storefront or building you can walk into and order or eat at a place under this name,” Canter explained.

Nextbite has a portfolio of these delivery-only restaurants. They partner with brick and mortar restaurants across the U.S. to use their kitchen space and staff to operate these virtual restaurants.

“The rent is fixed, the lights are already on, the staff is already in the kitchen, whether you're doing one brand or multiple brands,” he said.

There’s a growing share of ghost kitchens, too. A similar concept, but they operate out of industrial kitchen spaces that might host multiple virtual brands.

“Ghost kitchens in the 2020s are kind of what food trucks are 10 years ago,” Belarmino said.

She said the food delivery industry may still have some adjusting to do.

“We might see some changes in fees for the consumer. In a lot of places, there's no delivery fee or a dollar delivery fee, and that may start to increase so that restaurants can get a little more profit back for it,” she said.

All this change comes at a time when restaurants have been working to get back on their feet from the pandemic.

“This is a very exciting time for the restaurant industry because there's so much innovation happening, but it's also a very devastating time. Lots of restaurant owners are struggling,” Canter said.

“This is going to be the future of food delivery and restaurants,” Belarmino said.

RICHMOND, Va. — For Hamidullah Noori, every day brings a new chance to share a part of himself and his homeland in a new country.

“When I see more people coming in, I feel proud,” he said. “Every morning when I wake up, just coming to work, is another day to serve the community, another day to serve your people.”

Chef Noori, as he’s known, is the owner of “The Mantu,” a restaurant specializing in cuisine from Afghanistan. The restaurant name means "me and you," and he opened it in Richmond, Virginia just a few years ago.

After having worked with Americans in Afghanistan, he and his family were forced to flee the country in 2015 on a Special Immigrant Visa.

“We were threatened by a group called the Taliban and we were not safe,” he said.

Since 2001, approximately 97,000 Afghan refugees have been resettled in the U.S., with the following states receiving the largest share of them:

1. California
2. Texas
3. Virginia
4. Washington
5. Maryland
6. New York
7. Georgia
8. Arizona
9. Colorado
10. Missouri

When Chef Noori first arrived in Virginia, though, there were few Afghans around. It was a tough transition.

“We were totally lost because it's a totally different world,” he said.

However, Chef Noori had a dream.

“My dream was, when I came to the United States, was to show off my skills and see if I can bring attention of other people, to introduce Afghani culture,” he said.

Working six days a week, in three different jobs, he started saving money. He also reached out to resettlement agencies that initially helped him and offered his culinary services.

“'If any refugees are coming from Afghanistan or if you guys have any meetings about the refugees, so let me know. I'll bring food and cook,’” he recalled telling them. “So, I used to cook free food for most of these places without charging them anything.”

Soon, word spread. The owner of the restaurant where Chef Noori had been working at the time tried his food.

“He tasted the food and said, ‘Wow, it's really good food,’” he recalled. “And [he] said, ‘I think I can help you to achieve your dream.’”

Through social media, others also stepped forward to help invest in that dream— from helping with kitchen equipment to even creating signage for the restaurant.

“The people of Richmond, as soon as I said, ‘I'm going to open a restaurant,' and they put it in a social media. Every individual came and supported me,” he said.

Now, Chef Noori is paying it forward by cooking food for new refugees now arriving from Afghanistan, letting them know they’re not alone.

“That’s the best thing: to serve your community, to serve your people,” Chef Noori said, “and the best thing would be to serve your culture.”

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — A restaurant in Beverly Hills is facing criticism for trying to plan a “discreet” New Year’s Eve dinner violating California’s coronavirus restrictions.

Indoor and outdoor dining have been banned in the Southern California region after the area reached ICU bed capacity earlier this month according to the state’s health department.

A journalist in the Los Angeles area tweeted an image of the invitation, which allegedly were inserted into to-go bags from La Scala. The dinner was supposed to have a 1920s prohibition/speakeasy theme.

“We are considering taking reservations for New Year’s Eve Dinner. Inside,” the invitation reads, asking the recipient to let La Scala know if they are interested in participating. “If enough interest we’ll contact you back to secure a reservation (sic). Please keep this discreet, but tell all your friends.”

The City of Beverly Hills contacted the restaurant and reminded management of the current dining restrictions, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“We understand this is an incredibly difficult time for all of our businesses,” the statement to the LA Times reads, “however the County Order does currently prohibit indoor and outdoor dining, including in the City of Beverly Hills.”

California has recorded more than 2.1 million cases of the coronavirus since the pandemic started, and more than 24,200 deaths.

DENVER — A viral TikTok video of a Denver Japanese restaurant created chaos, challenges, and changes for the small business.

In 1996, Gaku Homma opened Domo Japanese Country Restaurant. His restaurant provides a unique dining experience rich in flavor and culture that has attracted loyal customers over the last 25 years. Clients have the choice of sitting inside surrounded by Japanese décor or outside in a traditional Japanese garden.

The locally owned business became a Denver staple over the years, and in 2021, Zagat ranked the restaurant as one of the top five Japanese restaurants in the U.S.

But nothing prepared the business owner and staff for the power and impact of social media.

In July, a customer recorded a TikTok video restaurant. It was less than a minute long and without narration, but that's all people needed. In just one day, the video received hundreds of thousands of views.

"After it went viral, we definitely just got inundated with customers, almost instantaneously, so there was a big shift in our normal clientele," said Chef Koichi Ninomiya.

He said an employee pulled up the video, and it had more than half a million views in one day.

For several days, people lined up outside the restaurant before the doors opened. The line was so long it reached an apartment complex more than half a block from the entrance.

Ninomiya called the video a "blessing and a curse."

"It's nice to have people coming in, but at the same time, it's just a little bit too much for us to handle as a staff, and as a whole, we are not equipped with enough staff to handle the demand," Ninomiya said.

The business is home to many returning clients who went from experiencing a 30-minute maximum wait time to waits of three hours or more.

"It was busy to the point where we had to turn away customers," Ninomiya said.

Homma, the owner of the restaurant, said customers grew frustrated with the wait time.

A Facebook post on the restaurant's page stated that customers repeated insults and shouted hateful words at other people patiently waiting. Police were called several times to keep outbursts from escalating.

"There have been some disgruntled people," Ninomiya said.

Ninomiya said trying to predict how much food to prepare and order became difficult.

Homma was overwhelmed by the boost in business and closed for two weeks to prepare and set guidelines. He decided to scale back from seven days a week to three days a week and limited the seating capacity to keep people safe during the pandemic.

"We are still busy. We hit our capacity almost every night on those three nights," Ninomiya said.

Ninomiya estimates he's putting out 300 plates a day, and that doesn't include appetizers for the tables.

A customer waiting to be seated with her friends was in town visiting Denver and said a friend recommended dining at Domo. She said she typically searches hashtags on TikTok to find new restaurants and cool places to visit.

"It highlights the food; it highlights the ambiance," she said. "A lot of the time, it's the hidden gems that don't spend a lot of money on marketing, so you just get to see these real authentic type places, too."

Ninomiya stressed they're grateful for the extra business and simply asked for patience and understanding. He said, like most restaurants, they're short-staffed.

"We do want to serve everybody. You just have to come early, put your name down, be patient, and try not to get frustrated with us, and we will do the best we can," Ninomiya said.

Signs outside the restaurant now warn people about the extended wait time and remind customers that every dish is cooked with care.

This story was originally published by Adi Guajardo on Scripps station KMGH in Denver.

The way we eat and how we order food has changed due to the pandemic. And one day, your favorite restaurant could be a place you’ve never actually been to.

It’s the concept of a ghost kitchen, or virtual kitchen.

“It does not have a storefront, and does not have public access,” said Hudson Riehle, Senior VP of Research for the National Restaurant Association. “These are food preparation areas that function like a traditional restaurant kitchen in many ways, but they were not set up to have the public participate on site.”

The pandemic has made them more popular as more people are ordering from their phone.

“It is primarily driven by the continued demand by American consumers for convenient delivery food and beverage options,” he said.

Riehle explained that prior to the pandemic, one out of every 20 orders in the industry was done digitally.

”Under the pandemic environment now, that has dropped down to about one in every five,” he said.

It’s something restaurant industry leaders are paying more attention to, and finding solutions for.

For example, DoorDash recently announced Reopen for Delivery, a way to help restaurants reopen through delivery-only models in commercial kitchens. The idea is not new, ClusterTruck has been in the business of delivery-only food for over five years.

“100% of our business is delivery,” Chris Baggott, CEO & Co-founder of Clustertruck, said. “The fastest growing segment of food is prepared food delivery.”

ClusterTruck has expanded into seven locations.

“We make over 90 items. So we have Asian food, and we have cheeseburgers, and we have great vegetarian food.”

Their delivery is free as long as you are in their delivery zone. Baggot sees this model disruptive for catering and cooking, and less for dine-in restaurants.

“Honestly, it's how am I consuming food at home. It’s one of the reasons why we focus on quality so much, because we don't want people to have to trade quality for convenience,” he said.

As of September, nearly one in six restaurants, about 100,000, closed permanently or long term, according to the National Restaurant Association.

But the concept of the virtual kitchens might give some of those businesses a second chance or a new venture at surviving the pandemic.

“From the consumer's perspective there really is nothing more convenient than having the restaurant come to them,” Riehle said.

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- A San Diego restaurant chain's experiment on an old classic helped its workers make ends meet during the Southern California region’s stay-at-home order.

Yahaira Garcia wasn't sure how she'd make ends meet through the winter. After all, her employer, Karina’s Mexican Seafood, could only serve takeout during Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order.

“As a single mother, it made me very nervous and very anxious,” Garcia said. “I didn’t know where my financial stability was going to be.”

Orders dwindled to maybe 12 a day, and there was only room for four employees on the clock at a time.

“We were able to get a few hours, but not as much,” Garcia said.

But instead of just sitting back, Karina’s Restaurant Group General Manager Alex Navarette saw an opportunity, right out in the parking lot.

“We didn't know what else to do, we were just brain storming,” he said.

The chain decided to try a new spin on an old classic: the car hop. At five of its locations across the county, it offered full car-side service, with entertainment some nights, such as a D.J. It also projected a Canelo Alvarez boxing match to a full parking lot in December.

Garcia got more hours serving outside.

“It did give us a sense of normality, which is really amazing,” she said. “It was so good to see regular customers and the faces that we're used to seeing.”

Regulars brought their RVs, a construction set up on a flat bed, and others dusted off the lawn chairs.

Navarette staffed up from four to eight at some locations.

“We were just doing it as we were going along and it turned out great,” Navarette said.

And now that the stay-at-home order has lifted, Navarette expects even more workers to come back for outdoor table service.

This article was written by Jonathan Horn for KGTV.

The staff at a Denver restaurant called Guard and Grace were stunned and grateful after a patron left a $6,800 tip, distributed among the 34 employees working there that night.

The generous guest signed the receipt “COVID bandit” and also wrote “COVID sucks” along with a smiley face. The receipt is similar to one previously signed at another cafe and is the same amount per employee, according to WFLA.

According to staff member Ben Moon, who was working that Saturday night when the tip was left, the patron had been talking with the general manager for some time. He then went to one of the private dining rooms, the staff were lined up, and he personally handed each of them $200 in cash.

“His reservation was literally under the name COVID Bandit,” said Moon.

“Whoever this person is …, thank you so much for your act of kindness and your sincere genuine caring thoughtfulness you just bestowed on our Guard and Grace staff," Chef Troy Guard said in a post on Facebook.

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“You gave out $6800 DOLLARS in total … you gave $200 to each employee… some were crying – some are jumping up and down – some are dancing !

I don’t know who you are Mr. COVID BANDIT - but from the bottom of my heart - and our entire staff ..... THANK YOU."

FORT MITCHELL, Ky. —

Greater Cincinnati rallied around a family and their restaurant after harassing and threatening phone calls Thursday.

Fort Mitchell police are investigating the incidents at Oriental Wok on Buttermilk Pike.

The restaurant was packed full of support by Thursday evening, as friends, neighbors and loyal customers showed up to eat.

The Wong family is well-known in the region and their restaurant's Facebook page caught people's attention after they posted about the disturbing calls.

"They've really embraced us as a family and we feel the same, they are our family, this is our home," Angela Wong Miller said.

Overwhelming support came walking into the Oriental Wok for Thursday's dinner service.

Wong Miller said someone called the Fort Mitchell restaurant several times threatening to shoot the employees.

The family posted about the incident and other harassment they've faced.

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"Tonight, when I walked in, about 5:30 p.m., we already had 50 tables. They all dining room's full. They all tell me they want to come here and support me, especially tonight," owner Mike Wong said.

Wong Miller's father, Mike Wong, moved to America from Hong Kong 48 years ago and grew his family and this restaurant.

They found new family members in this community who came to their side in the midst of a frightening threat.

"I read the Facebook post and I got angry so this is the only way I know how to support them," customer Bridget Bauman said.

They were all dining in a place for friends.

"We've been friends with Mike and Helen and their kids, since, well, before the kids were born actually," customer John Voelker said.

Voelker said they've only grown closer through the years.

"I was devastated because they are such wonderful people," customer Charlotte Voelker said.

Between sips or bites, came hugs and reassurance.

"I love this guy. I can't understand," customer John Berger said.

As Berger enjoyed drinks and his meal, Mike Wong came by for a hug.

"Best friend, best customer," he said.

The family received heartfelt letters, too.

"They said we wanted to reach out and say how much we support your family and hate what you are going through, so I can't even read anymore because it's really heartfelt. So, thank you, thank you to our community, thank you so much," Wong Miller said.

The family said they've had cars and houses egged and have had nasty calls during the pandemic.

Fort Mitchell police said they've had no other calls like this reported and they are working to trace the calls made to this restaurant.

Police have added extra patrols at the restaurant.

Officers have urged anyone who received similar calls to contact their local police department.

Anyone with information about the incidents at Oriental Wok is asked to call the Fort Mitchell Police Department at 859-331-2823.

Perfectly Frank's customers are a loyal bunch.

Last year, they carried the restaurant through the darkest days of the pandemic with donations. Now, they're carrying each other — with donated meals.

The restaurant, a nearly 16-year staple in Norfolk, Virginia, has begun a free meal initiative to feed the community with meal donations from customers.

Anyone who needs a meal can go to the restaurant, pull a ticket off the "Franks for Friends" bulletin board and exchange it for a menu item.

"Maybe COVID hit them really hard, or they're in between jobs — or maybe they're taking a meal for their neighbor," Tarah Morris, the owner of Perfectly Frank, told CNN. "We don't ask any questions."

The initiative began and grew quickly

The idea for "Franks for Friends" began with a single donation.

After reopening the restaurant to in-person dining, Morris said community donations decreased as people felt a sense of normalcy.

But her staff — mainly college students from Old Dominion University — were struggling to make ends meet.

A friend and longtime customer donated $2,000 to the restaurant, asking that $100 went to each staff member and the rest went to feeding the community. With $700 left over, Morris began to give away free meals.

The initiative evolved quickly. Customers began donating, too. A bulletin board was put up. A clipboard was designated.

File video: Missouri café hands out free meals for those struggling in the pandemic

"I had no idea that was going to happen," Morris said. "We began collecting meals faster than we were giving them away."

Morris said approximately five people claim meals per day — a number that barely scrapes the amount that's available. To get more meals out, Morris' staff prepares bulk orders for local after-school programs twice a week.

In the restaurant, she tries to keep the meals on the bulletin board different.

Hot dogs, salads and melts populate Perfectly Frank's extensive menu, but cheeseburgers are the most popular items.

Free meal customers take their ticket to the register to redeem it, where they can customize their order and choose a drink.

'It's not even about the money'

Morris said she is getting calls, emails and letters from people across the U.S. who want to support "Franks for Friends."

One email from Miami, Florida, stood out to her.

"He said, 'I don't have much money — I'm actually broke — but I saw your story...' and he was so filled with joy to know that there are good people out there doing good things in this chaos," Morris said.

The man later called to donate a meal — $10 — but his card got declined.

The Perfectly Frank's employee who was on the phone with him put in her card details, donating $20 in his name.

"That story was the most touching and it only involved $20," Morris said. "It's not even about the money. It's about people doing nice things for somebody."

There's no end in sight

Morris said that the surplus of donated meals is so large, she can't foresee an end.

"I'm hoping it goes on forever," she said. "At the rate the donations are coming in, I feel like it'll never stop."

Morris said she hopes to partner with more local organizations to give away bulk meals. But for now, she said everything that's happened has been a much-needed lift in spirits.

"Coming off of COVID and all the hardships — we didn't know if we were even going to make it," she said. "We went from ground zero to as high as you can go. It's been very uplifting, very humbling. We know we're going to be OK."

Morris said Perfectly Frank has given away over 100 meals so far. She doesn't think they'll run out anytime soon.

While businesses across the country are trying to incentivize people back to work, one Louisville restaurant decided to show its appreciation for its employees by sending them on vacation.

Ramen House Louisville, on Bardstown Road, posted Tuesday that it would be closing its doors temporarily not because of a shortage of workers, but because all of them will be in Las Vegas for the week.

According to the Facebook post, the restaurant closed for the week to fly the employees to Vegas to show them thanks for working "hard and diligently through all the crazy times" over the past year and a half.

"They deserve a break," the restaurant posted along with a photo of the employees at the airport.

In a message to WLKY, the owners of the Louisville restaurant that serves up ramen and rice bowls said 10 of their employees were flown out to Vegas. The trip also included having their lodging and some food and activities paid for.

Much like other restaurants and businesses in the metro, Ramen House was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. In March, the restaurant completely shut down, reopening later with restrictions in place.

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The Vegas trip isn't the first time the restaurant owners have gone out of their way to show appreciation for their employees. In April, the restaurant posted a photo of the group on a kayaking trip.

Check out the Ramen House Facebook page here.

While businesses across the country are trying to incentivize people back to work, one restaurant decided to show its appreciation for its employees by sending them on vacation.

Ramen House Louisville posted Tuesday that it would be closing its doors temporarily not because of a shortage of workers, but because all of them will be in Las Vegas for the week.

According to the Facebook post, the restaurant closed for the week to fly the employees to Vegas to show them thanks for working "hard and diligently through all the crazy times" over the past year and a half.

"They deserve a break," the restaurant posted along with a photo of the employees at the airport.

In a message to sister station WLKY, the owners of the Louisville restaurant that serves up ramen and rice bowls said 10 of their employees were flown out to Vegas. The trip also included having their lodging and some food and activities paid for.

Related video before: Customer leaves $16,000 tip at New Hampshire bar

Much like other restaurants and businesses across the country, Ramen House was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. In March, the restaurant completely shut down, reopening later with restrictions in place.

This content is imported from Facebook.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

The Vegas trip isn't the first time the restaurant owners have gone out of their way to show appreciation for their employees. In April, the restaurant posted a photo of the group on a kayaking trip.

In light of new guidance for vaccinated people by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, local businesses are taking extra cautionary steps to keep patrons safe.

"Since we've heard of this, I definitely understand that we're going to see a wide range of responses from businesses in terms of what they want and what they don't want," Louisville Downtown Partnership president Rebecca Matheny said.

There is a sign on the door of Chestnut Street bar Meta outlining the new mask policy after the CDC released new guidance allowing for vaccinated people, in most cases, to go without a mask inside and out.

"We realized if we don't have a cogent policy on this, we're going to end up in a lot of disagreements with people," owner Jeremy Johnson said.

On the door, the sign says vaccinated people who can show proof are able to take their mask off inside. Patrons who cannot show proof or have not been vaccinated are asked to keep their masks on unless seated.

"Do you want to carry your vaccine card or do you want to carry a mask?" Johnson asked. "It's one or the other. Both are a little inconvenient, I get it but if people really hate wearing a mask, all you got to do is show me that you're vaccinated. No big deal."

Bartenders are checking vaccination cards and IDs.

"My staff just felt it was best to verify proof and if not, it's really not a big deal to wear your mask if you have to go from your table to the restroom," Johnson said.

With a range of options for businesses to adopt as far as rules within the establishment, Matheny said people should expect different rules at different places with the new guidance.

"I trust our business owners to make decisions that are right for their businesses," Matheny said.

Shop-bar also posted on their Facebook page they would ask to see vaccination cards for patrons who wanted to go maskless indoors.