Restaurant shows thanks to healthcare workers fighting the coronavirus with free meals
Harried hospital staff members battling on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic in Glendale will have one less thing to worry about when they get home as a local restaurant has offered free meals for employees at any of the city’s three hospitals.
Tavern on Brand will provide up to 50 free meals every day that it’s open to employees of Adventist Health Glendale, Dignity Health Glendale Memorial Hospital and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital.
The restaurant joins other eateries across the Los Angeles area offering up free meals to healthcare workers and first responders.
Tigran Azatian, one of the restaurant’s owners, said it was a gesture of thanks for the long hours put in by each hospital’s staff members in the fight against the novel coronavirus.
He said the restaurant had been closed for several days after Los Angeles County’s Safer at Home order was issued, but the decision was made to reopen the business to help overworked hospital employees in addition to providing takeout and delivery for the general public.
“I don’t want them to cook or do anything … It’s easier for them to come pick up food,” Azatian said. “I want them to go home, relax so that they can go back to the hospitals with more energy and do their best.”
Anything on the restaurant’s modified takeout and delivery menu is free for hospital workers who show their employee ID when picking up their food.
When the restaurant first started giving away free meals last week, Azatian said only a handful of people took advantage of the offer. In the days since, more and more hospital workers have started to call in orders.
He added the restaurant will continue to offer free meals for as long as possible throughout the pandemic.
“Maybe if we get some sponsors, we can do bigger things for the doctors and nurses, but we’re going to keep doing this as long as we can with our own stuff,” Azatian said.
Tavern on Brand is located at 208 N. Brand Blvd. and can be contacted by visiting tavernonbrand.com or calling (818) 291-1926.
