TURNERS FALLS — To help with the strain on free meal programs — and to clear out inventory left from the unexpected restaurant ban — the Five Eyed Fox is giving out free boxed lunches every day at noon from its porch at 37 Third Street, for at least the next few days.
Chef and owner Ashley Arthur at first said she would continue giving out food until she runs out of stock, which she guessed could last through this week. But as news spread, she was contacted by people interested in donating resources or time — meaning that the free lunches may continue longer than originally expected.
“It brings me to tears how many people have reached out to give,” Arthur said.
The ban on dine-in restaurants, which went into effect Tuesday and is set to last at least three weeks, is making business difficult for likely all Massachusetts restaurants. But the Five Eyed Fox’s situation is somewhat unique. The restaurant re-opened three weeks ago after a nine-month break to make kitchen renovations and other business changes.
The first three weeks were busy, Arthur said, busy enough that the restaurant had problems keeping food in stock. Last week, trying to keep up with business, Arthur put in her largest orders since re-opening.
Then, on Sunday, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced an emergency effort to limit the spread of the COVID-19, also called the coronavirus, through strict new rules on restaurants and other food businesses. Dine-in restaurants have been totally banned through April 6, possibly longer. Only take-out, delivery, grocery stores and pharmacies are allowed to operate as normal.
The Five Eyed Fox, like probably most restaurants, was left with a surplus of stock. And, although Arthur, like many local restaurant owners, has mentioned plans to try developing a take-out business for the time being, she does not expect to start that until next week.
At the same time, the state has also shut down schools. Rather than let her food spoil, Arthur said, she thought to prepare lunches and donate them to families who normally rely on free lunches through the public schools. As it turned out, Gill-Montague Regional School District is still offering free meals, but Arthur decided to continue anyway — to “fill in the gaps” where the schools can’t provide due to legal procedures, and to allow adults to take food, too.
“We’re salvaging as much as we can, so that when we re-open, we’re not facing too much of a loss,” Arthur said. “Since we have more free time than usual, and there are people in the area that don’t have access to food … we’re preparing the food with our extra time.”
The meals are basically portable versions of Five Eyed Fox dishes. On Tuesday, the first day Arthur gave out lunches, she made salads, fried chicken, scrambled eggs, maple cinnamon rolls and French fries. Arthur also mentioned she will try to keep buying from the farms she normally works with, so as to help soften the immediate financial impact of the coronavirus.
“It’s really wholesome food,” she said. “It’s not just dry goods. It’s not 10 packs of spaghetti.”
Since announcing the plan on the Five Eyed Fox’s Instagram page, locals have contacted Arthur asking if they can help, either by donating food, money or time. Staples in Greenfield donated a banner to advertise the free lunches.
Depending on how much volunteer interest there is, and how much need there is, Arthur said, the Five Eyed Fox may be able to keep doing this even after it uses up its surplus stock.
Reach Max Marcus at
mmarcus@recorder.com
or 413-930-4231.