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Fazoli's giving more than 1K meals to furloughed federal workers

January 24, 2019

With no end in sight to the government shutdown, Fazoli's has extended its offer to help feed federal workers not receiving pay, CEO Carl Howard said in an email to Fast Casual. Since launching the offer Jan. 7, the chain has given workers more than 1,000 dishes of Pizza Baked Spaghetti. Although Howard had planned to only offer the freebie through Jan. 13,  he has extended it until the government reopens as a way to thank people for coming to work.

"I cannot imagine not getting a paycheck after the Christmas holiday," he said.  "This group not being paid makes the world go around. If the TSA goes on strike it would be another 9-11 for all business and vacation flyers."

Government workers who show their IDs and purchase a drink are eligible for the offer.

"All of our franchisees are all supporting the offer," Howard said. "They send me emails just about every day from affected consumers showing appreciation."

One TSA employee, who stopped in for a meal deal with other furloughed employees, wrote on a review site that although it was difficult for him to accept the offer, the staff made him feel welcome.

"I felt comfortable and left with a smile on my face," he wrote. "The first smile I have had in a while! I look forward to 'paying it back' when money starts coming in for me again. Please thank the staff for me."

Fazoli's Senior Area Supervisor Kevin Karnes has spoken this week with several employees taking advantage of the deal at Lexington, Kentucky, Fazoli's units and said he is proud to work for a company that is helping others.

"Most of them were TSA from the Bluegrass Airport," he said. "Everyone was very happy and grateful for Fazoli's. Some of them even said they don't understand why a small company can do this, but some the larger companies are not."

Founded in 1988 in Lexington, Kentucky, Fazoli's owns and operates more than 215 restaurants in 28 states.